


Just a Universe Apart, Vol. 1

by smartalec121



Series: Just a Universe Apart [1]
Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Adventure tri., Digimon Frontier, Digimon Tamers
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Friendship, Multiverse, Some Humor, multi-season crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-09-25 18:21:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 54,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20376052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smartalec121/pseuds/smartalec121
Summary: When old enemies join forces, all of reality is at risk. Only the combined efforts of the Digidestined, Tamers, and Legendary Warriors can prevail... IF they can overcome their own baggage first.





	1. SSDD

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of its characters. This is a nonprofit, fan-based story. Please support the official release.

Location: Unknown

He hated them. It was the only thing he was still able to cling to.

After his last defeat at the hands of the Digidestined, Myotismon's body had been destroyed and his data scattered. All of his senses were gone, as was his ability to sense the passage of time. Only his core consciousness remained, and even that was beginning to fade. It was only by holding on to his hatred that any piece of Myotismon still existed. He knew vengeance would be his if he could just reconstitute himself one more time.

_This one could suit our purposes._

Myotismon did not hear the voice so much as he felt it, pushing its message into his mind. He collected himself and pushed back. _Who are you?_

The presence "spoke" again. _You possess knowledge that is required._ It did not seem the message was meant to threaten or intimidate. Everything the presence conveyed felt like a statement of fact.

_I do not understand._

The presence pushed again. _A simple sentient could never comprehend our reasoning. Your cooperation is required. Please do not resist._

Myotismon felt the presence begin to surround him. He panicked. It felt like he was being absorbed. Then it became clear what was happening. Had he still possessed a mouth, he would have smiled. Myotismon was becoming whole once again.

* * *

Universe 104: The Digital World- File Island

Gatomon's ear twitched. The feline digimon had situated herself atop a large tree to separate herself from the others in the forest below. It had been quiet up until the rustling of the leaves had disturbed her. Regaining her bearings, Gatomon stood upright upon realizing it was the wind that had disturbed her.

What Gatomon _wanted_ to do was go back to sleep, but she knew better. The wind left her feeling cold on the inside. Something bad was about to happen. The wind began to become more violent, and Gatomon knew her course of action had been decided. The torrent was leading somewhere and she had to follow it.

Leaping from branch to branch, Gatomon made her way through the forest. Above and below her, other digimon fled in the opposite direction. Another sign that something big was coming.

Gatomon wished that Kari were with her. Having her human partner with her would, at the very least, have meant she would not face this new threat alone. Recent events in the Real World had led to the "chosen" digimon to return to their own world for a time. If the evil energy massing outside the forest had any positive side effect, it would be Gatomon reuniting with Kari sooner rather than later. No single digimon on their own would be able to win this battle.

Gatomon made it to the edge of the forest, which ended on a cliff overlooking a large valley. The "wind" she had been following coalesced high above the center of the valley. As of that second, it formed a massive crimson sphere. It reminded Gatomon of the inside of a lava lamp.

As Gatomon stood there trying to decide what her next action would be, two more digimon emerged from the forest and joined her. The first, Patamon, landed on the branch she was standing on. The second, Agumon, stood at the base of the tree a few meters below them.

"Fancy meeting you guys here," Agumon called up to them.

Patamon sighed. "You'd think we could go one Saturday morning without the forces of evil conspiring against us." He looked over to Gatomon, who nodded in reply. Patamon could obviously sense the darkness coming from the sphere as well.

"Do we know this thing is evil?" Agumon asked. "Maybe it's just hungry. I know I can get grouchy when I skip breakfast."

Agumon's partner, Tai, was Kari's older brother, which almost made Gatomon and Agumon siblings as well. Gatomon was used to Agumon's optimism, and often wished he were right about situations like this. Over the years, they had fought a number digimon only because of misunderstandings. Gatomon knew this would not be the case with the sphere.

"No, that thing is evil," Gatomon said after a pause. "I can feel it. We need to start getting ready for what's coming."

"Where should we start?" Patamon asked. The little digimon was smiling. Despite what he was sensing, he wasn't scared. Gatomon often envied him. Patamon had once died fighting an evil digimon, which meant he was always prepared for the worst.

"Let's start getting everyone together," Agumon suggested. He didn't seem to have any misgivings about the situation either. "No sense wasting time."

"And let's get a message to the Real World as soon as possible," Gatomon added. "A bunch of rookie-level digimon aren't going to able to do much on their own."

Agumon and Patamon nodded and set off. Before she did the same, Gatomon looked up at the sphere one more time. She wished she could be as confident as her friends, but something at the center of that sphere was screaming at her. Kari couldn't get there fast enough.

* * *

Universe 450: The Real World- Shibuya Terminal

Koji apologized as he pushed through a small crowd. He was more than a little frustrated at the lack of instructions he had received that morning. "ARRIVE AT THE SHIBUYA TERMINAL BY NOON. YOUR DESTINY AWAITS," the text message had read. It had come from a blocked number, but Koji had a feeling Takuya was the one who had sent it. He would have ignored message completely if a similar message hadn't once led to him saving a whole other world.

Koji's train of thought was interrupted when someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him aside. Koji turned round only to find himself face-to-face with his twin brother, Koichi.

"Are you trying to scare me to death?" Koji asked while trying to collect himself.

A warm smile appeared on Koichi's face. "'To death?' Good thing Lucemon didn't know you were so easily startled. The whole world might have paid the price."

"Very funny," Koji replied. As he spoke, he finally realized that Tommy was standing beside Koichi. The 9-year-old looked up at him, grinning.

"You walked right by us," Tommy explained. "We tried calling out to you, but you seemed pretty zoned out."

Koji didn't reply. Had he really been that lost in thought? Koji pushed the question to the back of his mind. He hadn't come to discuss his personal issues.

A voice came from behind Koji and broke the silence. "Of all the no good kids I could run into today. I guess that's just my luck." Koji instantly recognized the voice. He turned around again and saw J.P. walking towards them.

"Yeah, we're like trouble magnets," Tommy replied. He ran over to the older kid and greeted him with a high-five.

"Have I missed anything yet?" J.P. asked.

"Just Koji brooding," Koichi answered. Koji looked away from his twin, trying to ignore the jab. "We actually just got here."

"Some things never change, I guess." J.P. laid a hand on Koji's shoulder before pushing past him to greet Koichi.

"Well, what are the chances?" a fifth voice chimed in. The voice belonged to Zoe, who immediately ran over to join the group. J.P. and Tommy's faces both lit up upon seeing her. She continued, "I get a mysterious text message saying it's my destiny to be here today, and find all you guys here."

"Chances are pretty high if we were all called here on purpose," Koichi replied.

"And, still, one of us is conveniently missing," Koji added, rolling his eyes. He was now positive Takuya was behind this. Only he could plan something like this and fail to show up himself.

Then, almost on que, Takuya came running over to them. He was out of breathe as he spoke, "C'mon Koji, you know the hero has to make a dramatic entrance."

Zoe raised an eyebrow and calmly asked, "You missed your train, didn't you?"

"Just…shut up."

Koichi, Tommy and J.P. all laughed. It was Koichi who stopped first to ask, "So why the text messages?"

"Because I was worried _some _people would find an excuse to not show up." Takuya eyed Koji as he spoke. So, this was for his benefit.

"Well, _some_ of us may have had more important things to today," Koji replied, irritated.

"Name one thing you had to do today that was more important than this." Takuya was becoming irritated as well. "If something's bothering you, you don't have to hide it. We're your friends. You can talk to us, buddy."

"Just drop it Takuya," Koji responded. He didn't share his feelings if he didn't have to. That was just how he was built. Besides, Koji wasn't even sure there was anything to talk about. He had been off lately, and wasn't sure why.

Of course, Takuya knowing that something was bothering him wasn't a lucky guess. During the final fight with Lucemon, the two of them came together to form Susanoomon. The combination turned out to be one of body and soul. The only way they had been able to win that fight was accepting the "mind-meld" that came with it. After that, Takuya and Koji probably knew each other better than either cared to admit. Tommy, Zoe, and J.P. had been part of Susanoomon the second time around, but Koji was confident that the extra minds actually made it more difficult to discern individual thoughts. The reactions of their friends seemed to confirm this theory.

"What's gotten into you two?" Zoe asked.

"I'm ready to share when Koji is," Takuya declared. He hadn't taken his eyes off Koji, his face now more serious.

Before Koji could respond, his cellphone started buzzing. He soon realized that everyone else's was following in kind.

"What'd you do now, Takuya?" Zoe asked.

"It's not me. I swear," Takuya stated. He pulled out his own phone and presented it to his friends. The message he had received simply read "HELP."

* * *

Universe 351: The Real World- Shinjuku Park

Takato brought his head up from his notebook to inspect the scene a few steps below. He and the rest of his friends had gathered at Guilmon's old hideout. This had become a tradition since the defeat of the D-Reaper two years ago. After the activation of the Juggernaut program, their digimon could no longer remain in the Real World for extended periods of time. Not long after that event, a portal linking the two worlds had appeared underneath the shed Guilmon used as a house. The Tamers would meet at the site whenever the digimon sent word they were returning to the Real World.

Below Takato, most of the others were gathered around Suzie and Kazu, who were playing the Digimon Trading Card Game. Suzie smiled and slapped a card down on the mat. "Gotcha!" she declared.

"No way…" Kazu wasn't feigning a defeat for Suzie's sake. Takato knew she had genuinely beaten him. "This can't be happening."

"How the mighty have fallen," Kenta laughed.

"Laugh it up, chumley," Kazu replied. "I'd like to see you beat her."

"Don't be such a sore loser," Jeri added. She had given up on resisting laughing as well. She turned her attention to Suzie. "How'd you learn to play like that?"

"I had a good teacher," the nine-year-old beamed.

Jeri looked to Henry, Suzie's older brother, who was standing beside her. He shrugged and replied, "Don't look at me."

"It was Ryo," Suzie stated.

Jeri, Kazu, and Kenta all looked over to Ryo, who scratched the back of his head. "I just gave her a few tips," he said.

"Are you kidding?" Suzie asked, jumping to her feet. "I probably wouldn't even know how to play if it weren't for you."

As Suzie continued to gush, Henry made his way up to Takato. "I guess Ryo has another fan," he said. Takato could tell Henry was a bit jealous. Henry had always been overprotective when it came to Suzie. Takato knew that meant it was only a matter of time before Suzie gravitated toward someone who treated her more like one of team.

"Better watch out, Henry," teased Rika, who was sitting a single step above Takato. "Mrs. Suzie Akiyama has a nice ring to it."

"Really? _You_ think so?" Takato asked.

Rika's smile faded and she raised an eyebrow at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, obviously trying to keep her cool.

"I-I, uh… well…" Takato felt the back of his neck start to heat up. He knew he needed to defuse the situation before she _actually_ got angry. He held up his notebook, showing Rika the picture of the group he had been drawing. "What do you think?"

"I guess you have to be good at something, Goggle-head," Rika replied.

Takato realized he had been holding his breath and exhaled. He looked to Henry for approval, who simply replied, "Smooth…"

Takato turned back to Rika, who had turned her attention towards the old shed. They had been waiting for the digimon longer than usual. They never had an exact time table in the past, but something in the back of his mind told Takato there was something else going on. "You're worried too?" he asked Rika. She nodded in reply.

"I just can't shake this feeling that something else is going on today," Henry said. He seemed to be having an internal debate as to what to do about it.

"We could always use the portal ourselves and go check on them," Takato suggested.

"I don't know…"

"What's there to know?" Suzie chimed in. Her and the others had cleaned up their trading cards and made their way over to the three of them. "If Lopmon and the others are in trouble, we have to go help them."

"I know I'd feel a lot better if I knew they were okay," Rika stated.

"Now, wait a second…" Henry stared before being interrupted.

"Henry, if you tell me it's not safe I'm going to kick you in the shin," Suzie declared. She pushed past her brother and made her way to the shed. "Let's get going!"

"I guess it's unanimous," Takato said looking to Henry, who shook his head and followed his sister.

"It's funny," Jeri said, leading the other boys up the steps. "I see Henry's sister but all I hear is a little version of Rika."

"Laugh it up, Katou," Rika called after her. Rika looked back at Takato as she moved up the stairs. "C'mon. We don't want them getting in over their heads."

Takato smiled back at her before following. They would beat whatever waited for them beyond the portal the same way they always had: together.

* * *

Universe 104: The Real World- High School Computer Lab

"That's…not prodigious," Izzy immediately sat down at the computer and started typing. The digiport was refusing to open, and they did not have time for this particular problem. It hadn't taken long for the Digidestined to get together once they had gotten word of the escalating situation in the Digital World. That should have been a clear sign that something else would end up impeding their progress, or at least that was how Izzy felt.

"It looks like an extra layer of encryption has been added," Ken said while reading a diagnostic window that appeared on screen. He and Yolei were standing over Izzy's shoulders.

"Is it even possible for someone to do that?" Yolei asked while adjusting her glasses.

"It shouldn't be," Izzy answered, leaning closer to the screen. It was then that another person pushed herself in between him and Yolei to a better view of the screen.

"So…what are we gonna do about it?" Mimi asked.

"Mimi, get out of the way! I can't see!" Izzy barked. Normally, he liked humoring his friends with technical information they wouldn't understand, but right then wasn't the right time.

"Relax! I was just trying to see if there was a way I could help."

"If you think you can decrypt the digiport, by all means," Izzy said while gesturing towards the computer, "Go right ahead." He immediately regretted what he had said. They were all a bit on edge.

Mimi glared down at him, not saying anything for a few seconds. "Watch it, Izumi," she said ominously, causing Izzy shrink in his seat a bit.

It was Joe who ended up coming to his rescue. "Let's give them space to work, Mimi," he suggested, leading her over to the window where Tai, Matt, and Sora were standing.

Izzy let out a sigh of relief and turned back to Yolei. "Would you mind letting me borrow your D3 for a second?" he asked.

"Sure." She handed him the device. "What for?"

Izzy pulled a cord out of his bag and used it to connect the digivice to the computer. "I don't think the locking of the digiport was intentional. Just a side effect of the disturbance on the other side. I should be able to use the D3 to force our way through."

"Awesome," Davis called out. He was sitting backwards on a chair behind Izzy's computer. "Let's get this underway. I hate being in school on a Saturday."

Davis looked to T.K. and Kari, who were standing to his right. The former shook his head and responded, "Seriously? We get a message saying the entire Digital World might be coming apart and that's what you're worried about?"

"At least we can say he's consistent," Cody chimed in. The youngest Digidestined sat in a chair to Davis's left. As per usual, he had been the quietest since they arrived.

"See!" Davis looked triumphantly back at T.K. "Cody gets me."

"I didn't say that."

Their argument was interrupted by a familiar chime. "Now _that's _prodigious!" Izzy called out. "The port's open. I say we move through before it changes its mind."

"No sense wasting time, then," Tai announced. He led the others over to the computer, and Izzy couldn't help but grin. He stood up from the desk and allowed Tai to lead the way. "Let's go save the world again."

* * *

Universe 351: The Digital World- Domain of the Sovereign

Calumon looked up at the four digimon that towered over him and his friends. The Sovereign had abducted them via datastream, but hadn't spoken directly to them since they arrived. Azulongmon and Zhuqiaomon were arguing about something, with occasional comments from the other two whose names Calumon always forgot.

Calumon looked to his friends to see if they could give him a que about how to act. Guilmon was sitting on the ground and, if Calumon's guess was correct, worrying about not being able to get back to Takato on time. Terriermon, on the other hand, didn't seem to care about where they were. He slowly moved around the group, almost like he was walking on an imaginary tightrope. Guardromon and MarineAngemon were chatting away, or at least the former was talking while the latter gave brief responses. Cyberdramon stood looking away the Sovereign, grouchy as ever. Only Renamon and Lopmon stood completely at attention.

Calumon's train of thought was interrupted when Impmon walked past for what felt like the millionth time. He was walking back and forth, muttering to himself.

"What's wrong?" Calumon finally asked.

"I'll tell ya what's wrong," Impmon shot back. "Those four think that, just because they're digigods, they can just abduct us while we're in the middle of somethin'. Sheesh, the nerve of some people." Calumon knew that Impmon didn't trust the Sovereign, and Zhuqiaomon in particular. The phoenix digimon had once convinced him to try and kill all of his friends, and Impmon would probably never get over it completely.

"We are ready to begin if you all are," Azulongmon's voice boomed above them. Everyone but Terriermon stopped what they were doing to face him. "It would seem that a situation has developed, and we require your assistance in dealing with it."

"Let me guess," Terriermon interrupted, still not looking up from what he was doing. "You guys made a mess, and you need us to clean it up for you."

"Insolent whelp," Zhuqiaomon snapped. He looked to Azulongmon with anger that made Calumon nervous. "I knew we should have sought others to help us deal with the Chaos."

Terriermon fell over after hearing the last word. It was Renamon that finally broke the silence to ask the question that was on everyone was afraid to vocalize. "Are you suggesting…" she began.

"We are stating that the Chaos, the program you refer to as 'D-Reaper', has resurfaced."

"No. No. No!" Terriermon called out while getting to his feet. He addressed the Sovereign directly. "We killed that thing!"

"Perhaps Zhuqiaomon misspeaks," Azulongmon interjected. "You destroyed the D-Reaper of this universe, but each parallel reality that has developed its own Digital World also possesses an accompanying program like the D-Reaper."

"My head's starting to hurt," Guilmon said while scratching the back of his head. Calumon felt the same way. He wasn't really sure what the Sovereign was suggesting.

"There exist countless realities both similar to and different from this one. A D-Reaper program has evolved to point where it can travel between these realities, an ability we Sovereign share. We believe it has set its sights on this universe and two others."

"Why come ta us wit dis?" Impmon asked.

"Because we have no other options," Azulongmon replied. "Our forces are still in dismay from the battle two years ago. As of right now, you are the strongest warriors this universe has to offer."

"I'm flattered," Terriermon called out, apparently talking to Zhuqiaomon in particular.

Renamon came up to the side of the rabbit digimon, tapping him on the head as though she were suggesting he be quiet. "We will require allies," she said politely.

"Ah, yes…the humans," Zhuqiaomon responded, almost insulted. "We are working on procuring them for you now."

"In the meantime, make haste," Azulongmon added. A portal opened up in front of them, crackling with white energy.

"Okay!" Guilmon leapt to his feet. "We're coming Takato!"

"Yeah!" Calumon cried out, leaping atop Guilmon's head. "Let's go!"

As the nine digimon charged into the portal, Calumon heard Azulongmon call out to them one more time. "The fate of all our worlds rest in your hands."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First and foremost, to anyone who's made it this far, thanks for taking the time.
> 
> This story was my very first fan fic, written about a year and a half ago as an exercise to get past one of my many bouts with writer's block. As a result, I feel like this work is a bit of a mixed bag. There are bits of it that I'm pretty happy with and others that I absolutely can't stand. Though I guess the good must have outweighed the bad, as this went from an exercise to a regular hobby of mine.
> 
> As I'm sure you can tell, no Data Squad/Savers or Fusions/Xros Wars in this fic. For simplicity's sake, I stuck to the seasons I grew up with and thus had a decent grasp of the characters' voices.
> 
> Anywho, I'll be posting chapters over the course of this week. If you really like what you've read that much and can't wait for more, this work is available in its entirety on fanfiction.net (my username on there is the same). In the meantime, leave a comment if you feel up to it and I'll talk at you later.


	2. Fear the Reaper

Universe 450: The Real World- Shibuya Terminal

Takuya had gone into action only a few seconds after receiving the message. Koji could tell he didn't have a plan, but that was often the case with their leader. Koji actually took some comfort in the fact that he was able to figure out where they were going: the very elevator where their adventures in the Digital World had both began and ended.

For the first time since their return home, the six of them plummeted downward to the Trailmon station beneath Shibuya. Koji had not tried to return in the last year, which made him wonder whether or not they would have been able to access it beforehand. The group was mostly quiet on the way down.

"Amazing," Koichi said while marveling at the cart. He had not gone to the Digital World via this method last time. "I guess part of me still didn't believe this was down here."

"You'll get used to it after a couple more times," Takuya replied with a grin. He always liked to keep the mood light when he could.

The elevator reached its destination a couple seconds after that. Koji stepped off last, scanning the room and seeing nothing out of place. Actually, there was nothing around at all.

"Seeing it empty like this…it's kind of sad," Zoe said, breaking the silence.

"You said it, Z," J.P. added. "Not even a single Trailmon. Where should we go from here?"

Before J.P. had finished asking the question, Takuya shot over to one of the platforms. If Koji's memory was correct, it was the same one Takuya had run toward to catch a moving train a year ago. He proceeded to jump onto the tracks and run to the very edge of the tunnel.

"Uh, guys?" Takuya called out. "We might have a problem."

The five of them moved to the edge of the platform to see what their leader was referring to. Coming out of the tunnel were a dozen figures of varying shapes. Each was connected to a red cord that led back into the tunnel. One, which looked like a ghost to Koji, began moving closer to Takuya.

"Is it some kind of digimon?" Koichi asked. Koji had no answer for him. While he doubted he had seen every species of digimon during his time in the Digital World, Koji couldn't shake the feeling that there was something different about this creature.

The ghost-like creature continued to look Takuya up and down. It finally stopped and pointed its right "arm" at him. Koji didn't realize what it was doing until it was too late. Out of its arm came a powerful energy blast. Luckily for Takuya, Tommy had picked up on what was happening and tackled him out of the way of the attack.

"So they're definitely not friendly," Takuya surmised as he and Tommy got back to their feet. Koji let out a sigh of relief. They were all lucky that Tommy took his ques from Takuya as often as he did. Otherwise, they would have been down a man already.

Of course, that still left the matter of how to deal with their new enemies. Koji racked his brain trying to come up with a way to fight back, but was interrupted by his phone going off again. He removed it from his pocket and found the solution to his problem: his phone had turned back into his D-Tector. Koji looked around to his friends to confirm that their phones had followed suit.

"PYRO PUNCH!"

"BLIZZARD BLASTER!"

Koji turned his attention back to the tracks upon hearing the attacks called out. Takuya and Tommy had already spirit evolved to Agunimon and Kumamon, and were beginning to dispatch the creatures.

"Those two don't waste any time," Zoe commented.

"Well, neither should we," Koichi replied, holding up his own D-Tector. "Let's go guys!" With that, Koichi, Zoe, and J.P. were replaced by Loweemon, Kazemon, and Beetlemon. They immediately joined the brawl.

Koji told himself he should have predicted something like this happening today. He took an extra second to clear his mind of everything but a single though: _Execute_. He emerged from a cocoon of data as Lobomon, leaping at one the creatures and driving his beam sword into it. The thing ended up dissolving into data on impact.

The six of them stood shoulder to shoulder, facing down their remaining enemies. The Legendary Warriors had returned.

* * *

Universe 104: The Digital World- File Island

While it had only really been a couple of hours since she had parted ways with Agumon and Patamon, Gatomon felt like she had waited for days. Over the course of that period, the others gathered little by little in a clearing they had agreed upon. Eventually, all twelve of the chosen digimon were gathered around one of the small television sets that the Digidestined used as a digiport.

The winds were becoming stronger, and Gatomon could see a black cloud forming over the valley where the crimson sphere had taken residence. She felt a chill again, one that should have been impossible due to this region's temperate climate. The developing situation was becoming increasingly irregular, even by their standards.

"Heads up, guys! I think they're coming!" Patamon called out to the group. Any digimon whose attention wasn't already glued to the set turned to face it. Sure enough, it lit up and spat out twelve human adolescents. Before any of them could get back to their feet, they were each ambushed by their partner.

Gatomon made her way over to Kari, who greeted her with a hug that made Gatomon forget about the chill in the air. After a couple seconds, Kari let go and allowed Gatomon to climb onto her shoulder. "Took you guys long enough. What's a cat got to do to get your attention?" Gatomon asked snidely.

"Sorry. Our GPS took us on a crazy route," Kari replied while pointing over to Izzy. The prodigy didn't reply, simply grinning and shrugging instead. All the others had gotten back to their feet by this point, so Kari followed suit.

"I'm guessing the apocalypse is happening under that cloud," Joe deduced, a little more grimly than he had probably intended.

Gomamon, Joe's partner, had situated himself on his back. Ever the counter to Joe's attitude, he retorted, "Look on the bright side: one way or another, this could over before you know it."

"You fill me with such confidence."

"Anytime, partner."

"Much as I love the comic relief, we should get moving," Tai said for everyone to hear. He then turned his attention directly to Agumon. "Lead the way, buddy." The little dinosaur nodded and set off. The rest of them exchanged glances and followed. Tai and Agumon were both taking this seriously, which filled Gatomon with a mixture of confidence and dread. She still didn't have a good handle on whom or what their new enemy was. Without that information, they were unable to even come with plan to deal with it.

As they marched through the forest, Gatomon scanned the surroundings from her perch on Kari's shoulder. It was completely deserted. "It makes you wonder if we've got the right idea or not," Kari said to know one in particular.

"Don't worry, Kari," Davis said, walking up beside her confidently. "They're just not as brave as we are."

"Or as stupid," Gatomon remarked. She was met with glances from the two humans. "Sorry, it slipped out." Kari acknowledged her apology by lightly squeezing her paw.

The party finally made it to the valley where the sphere was accumulating. The size of it hadn't really changed since Gatomon had seen it last, but collected energy inside felt like it had multiplied.

"What is it?" Sora asked.

"It's definitely not a digiegg," Izzy answered. "The shape is wrong. Still, that doesn't mean there isn't a digimon inside. I want to start scanning it to be sure."

Before Izzy could even reach for his laptop, however, the wind died down. The sphere began to crack open, shard by shard falling to the ground below. Gatomon looked around the group, realizing that everyone was just looking up at the shattering sphere in awe. Then the last pieces fell away, revealing the digimon inside.

"Digidestined, your timing is impeccable," it said. "It is fitting that you should be the first to witness the wrath of ReaperMyotismon." This new form actually wasn't that different from MaloMyotismon, except that it was more slender and its armor less bulky with a grey tint. The massive claws MaloMyotismon had possessed had been exchanged for more humanoid hands. ReaperMyotismon's most distinct new feature was a massive coil of red cords coming out of his back.

"No," Gatomon said hopelessly and under her breathe. The scar on the back of her paw started to itch. She couldn't decide what was worse: the fact that Myotismon was alive and well again or the fact that she hadn't sensed it. Gatomon couldn't help but feel that what she was looking at was no longer a digimon. It felt tainted, even by Myotismon's twisted standards.

"I know you all have questions, but I'm going to need you to answer one of mine first," ReaperMyotismon continued. He turned his head and, with a sick grin, looked directly at Gatomon. "How's my favorite pussycat?"

Gatomon didn't stop to consider her next action, and instead chose to do exactly what her instincts told her to. She propelled herself off Kari's shoulder, screaming in a blind rage. In a flash, Gatomon digivolved into Angewomon and flew into the air until she was eye-level with ReaperMyotismon.

"HEAVEN'S CHARM!"

Angewomon clasped her hands together as she called out the attack. An enormous pink cross emerged from her hands and collided with ReaperMyotismon. As he struggled to hold back the attack, she materialized her quiver and an arrow made of light.

"CELESTIAL ARROW!"

Angewomon released arrow after arrow, each one colliding with her previous attack and making it stronger. As she continued her assault, the memories of her time as Myotismon's underling came flooding back to her. All the things he did to her that she wished she could forget. All the things she did for him that she would never forget. All the digimon and humans who had lost their lives because of his selfishness and cruelty. Myotismon would not survive another day, not if she had any say in the matter.

"Enough!" ReaperMyotismon called out. With a single wave of his energy, all of Angewomon's attacks dissolved. He didn't have a scratch on him. In an instant, ReaperMyotismon was directly in front of Angewomon. With another grin, he prepared his counterattack.

* * *

Universe 351: The Digital Plane

The Tamers had passed through the portal under Guilmon's shed, and were now in the space between worlds. Despite having seen it all before, Takato was still enamored by sight of the lines of data that surrounded them. He checked his footing. The last time they had traveled by this method, the "ground" had given out from under them. They had all agreed to move slowly and deliberately.

Takato found himself at the back of the group as they moved. He examined the goggles hanging around his neck. In the TV show, the kid with the goggles would be up front and leading the charge. He pushed the thought from his mind. That had never been his style, at least not unless it had to be.

"You know I can pretty much hear you thinking, right?" Rika called over to him. She slowed her pace until the two of them were walking side by side. She sighed and shook her head. "What's wrong?"

Takato couldn't help but smile. To someone who didn't know Rika as well as he did, it might have seemed like she didn't actually care. Takato knew that she just wasn't that good at showing it.

"Just boring, existential stuff," Takato answered after a couple seconds. "How are you holding up?" The question had just slipped out, and he wasn't surprised by the reaction it got.

"Idiot... I thought we agreed you were gonna stop asking that question." Rika was right, of course. They had encountered a swarm of Parasimon a little over a year ago, and it had dug up some old wounds regarding Rika's father. Takato had tried to get her to talk about it a couple times, but she had refused. They had ultimately come to an agreement: he would stop asking if she promised to let him know when she changed her mind.

"Sorry," Takato said while trying to figure out how to shift the conversation. "What I meant was…how do you think we're doing?" He gestured toward their friends.

Rika didn't answer right away, probably trying to find the right words. Takato knew it was something she wanted to be better at. Finally, Rika replied, "I think we're doing as well as we can be. None of them want to say it, but they're all worried. Last time we made this trip, one of us didn't come back."

"We made mistakes last time, but we've changed. We won't let what happened back then happen again."

"That goes for all of us, Takato." Rika looked him straight in the eyes as she spoke. Her comment wasn't meant as a personal jab. Again, she was genuinely concerned. Takato knew what she was talking about and, this time, he didn't want to talk about it.

He wouldn't have to either, as another voice joined their conversation. "Well, all that sounds really deep," Ryo said. He had made his way back through the group and put himself in between the two of them.

"Which makes what we're talking about a little out of your depth," Rika replied. "What do you want?"

"Don't be like that, Rika," Ryo answered, feigning innocence. "I just wanted to see what you were up to. Takato doesn't mind. Right, pal?"

Takato scratched the back of his head and said nothing. Ryo wasn't _wrong_, but Takato knew that siding with him over Rika meant risking damage to his person. Despite the years since their meeting, Rika and Ryo didn't quite get along. Kazu and Kenta would often claim it was because Rika had a crush on Ryo, but Takato wasn't convinced of that anymore. He and Henry had agreed that Rika was becoming more apathetic towards Ryo than anything else.

"Guys, look out!" Henry's yelling put an end to any awkward silence that might have been developing. A current of crackling, white energy was headed towards them. Before anyone could react, it had swallowed the entire group.

* * *

Universe 104: The Digital World- File Island

Izzy had expected ReaperMyotismon to unleash one of his new form's attacks in retaliation for what he had just endured. Instead, the evil digimon merely clenched one of his fists and delivered a powerful punch to the side of Angewomon's head. The angel digimon came crashing into the cliff-side, creating a small fissure that divided the Digidestined into two groups.

"Angewomon!" Kari cried out. Her partner must have been buried in the rubble below them. Izzy couldn't be sure exactly where at the time. Izzy had himself ended up next to Tai, Matt, and Sora. Davis had been standing to close to edge of the cliff, and had lost his balance with the impact. Luckily for him, Ken's reflexes had kicked in and was able to get a hold of one of his legs. Everyone else seemed okay, but Izzy was unsure how much longer that would last.

"Do I have any volunteers to be my next victim?" ReaperMyotismon called out maniacally. He greeted with two more attacks from Shakkoumon and Aquilamon, who had digivolved during Angewomon's attack. "I guess we'll start with the mosquitos."

ReaperMyotismon positioned himself for another attack, but was interrupted by a blow to his head. Shakkoumon and Aquilamon had been a distraction, buying time so that Gomamon could warp-digivolve into Vikemon. The Mega had leapt at ReaperMyotismon and struck him with one of his massive fists. Not to be outdone, Palmon had become Rosemon and joined the fray. Having flown around her enemy, she let loose a powerful lash from her whip.

"I guess I'm not the only one with a few new tricks," ReaperMyotismon observed. He seemed more excited than intimidated.

As Vikemon landed back on the ground near Joe and the others, Izzy felt a small claw poke him in the shoulder. He turned to see his own partner staring at him. "I think we should get in there, Izzy," Tentomon said.

"You're right," Izzy replied. He was worried about ReaperMyotismon's new powers, but also knew sitting the fight out meant putting their friends at risk. Izzy grabbed his digivice, and Tentomon became HerculesKabuterimon.

"Should I digivolve too, Sora?" Izzy heard Biyomon eagerly ask her partner.

"Not yet," Sora answered. "First, I want you to find Angewomon and make sure she's okay."

"Then we fight?"

"Then we fight." The two exchanged a nod before the pink bird flew off to her assigned task.

"Hey, guys!" Davis called out. "Did you forget about us?"

"We'll have you up in a minute, Davis," Matt replied. He and Tai ran over to the cliff to help Ken pull Davis up. "Just stop squirming."

Izzy turned his attention back to the fight. Rosemon had attacked again, stiffening her whip and using it as a spear. ReaperMyotismon parried each strike until finally grabbing hold of the weapon. He then pulled Rosemon in closer and delivered a fist to her gut. Rosemon staggered back, winded from the strike. Izzy could tell she was having trouble staying in the air.

ReaperMyotismon then turned on the spot, catching one of Vikemon's flails before it crashed into him. "What's this, now? Misdirection?" he taunted.

"Exactly!" HerculesKabuterimon declared. The massive, beetle digimon let loose the powerful electric attack he had been building up in his horns. The attack collided with ReaperMyotismon, engulfing him in a miniature lightning storm.

Cheers rang out amongst the Digidestined. As the remains of the electric attack cleared, Izzy tried to get a sense of how much damage was done. He had not expected the attack to finish ReaperMyotismon, and was relieved to see the digimon had actually received some injuries.

ReaperMyotismon's grin had faded, replaced with an equally disturbing scowl. In his hand, he materialized a scythe made of pure energy, swinging it back as he prepared to strike.

"CRIMSON SCYTHE!"

A lance of crimson energy shot from the blade. Rosemon tried to dodge, but was caught by the edge of the attack. Aquilamon had tried to fly around the strike, but had ended up getting grazed by the blade. As the two digimon cried out in pain, the blade moved right over the Digidestineds' heads and leveled a huge section of the forest behind them.

"How is that possible?" Sora asked softly. Izzy didn't have an answer. He tried coming up with theories as to how Myotismon could have obtained that kind of power, but none came to mind. Lost in thoughts, Izzy almost failed to realize ReaperMyotismon was charging up for another attack.

"CRIMSON STORM!"

Hundreds of shards of energy rained down on the Digidestined. Vikemon and HerculesKabuterimon each moved to a group of Digidestined to shield them from the attack. Izzy braced himself for the worst.

When he was sure the attack had ceased, Izzy looked over the group. His own partner still stood over them, his tough hide likely allowing him to withstand the attack. Vikemon, on the other hand, could no longer hold his mega form and dedigivolved into Gomamon. Shakkoumon, who had somehow dodged the storm, landed nearby his partners. He was carrying Palmon and Hawkmon, who were both injured.

"Is there not one among you who can challenge me?" ReaperMyotismon called down to them. His maniacal grin had returned.

Without a word, Tai stood up before looking over to Matt, Davis, and Ken. Based on the looks they had exchanged, Izzy could tell the four of them were ready to go all in. Still without saying anything, Agumon, Gabumon, Veemon, and Wormmon leapt from the edge of the cliff. With a series of flashes, they took on the forms Omnimon and Imperialdramon, Fighter Mode.

The Digidestined looked on as their two most powerful fighters charged ReaperMyotismon. At first, ReaperMyotismon didn't seem to give the two much regard, but his expression quickly changed when one of Imperialdramon's massive fists made contact. ReaperMyotismon was sent flying backwards, locked into Omnimon's sightline.

"SUPREME CANNON!"

A powerful blast erupted from the cannon on Omnimon's right arm and connected with its target. ReaperMyotismon screamed in rage, and then proceeded to call on his scythe again. He flew at Omnimon, who made no effort to dodge. Instead, the knight revealed the sword in his left arm and met the attack head on.

Izzy felt comfortable betting the resulting shockwave was felt miles away. The two digimon were evenly matched when it came to physical strength, but Omnimon was counting on this. Behind ReaperMyotismon, Imperialdramon had begun charging his primary weapon.

"POSITRON LASER!"

The attack hit its mark, and Omnimon strafed to allow ReaperMyotismon to be forced away by the beam. He crashed into the wasteland he had carved earlier.

"No, I won't…not again," ReaperMyotismon stuttered as he tried to stand. He raised his right hand for another attack only to have it cleaved off by Omnimon's sword. He screamed in agony, to which Izzy felt no sympathy.

"Surrender," Omnimon demanded, with Imperialdramon flanking him.

"I can still…what do you mean not at full power? Oh, very well," ReaperMyotismon was not addressing the two digimon in front of him. Instead, it seemed he was having an argument with someone that no one else could see or hear. Izzy was going to warn Tai and Matt, but it was in vain.

ReaperMyotismon let off one more energy wave to allow himself to escape his enemies' reach. A massive amount of energy began crackling behind him as he stood up. Izzy deduced what was happening just as ReaperMyotismon had opened his portal and escaped.


	3. To the Frontier

Universe 104: The Digital World- File Island

Gatomon had dedigivolved after crashing into the cliff. By the time Biyomon had been able to dig her out of the rubble and the two had returned to the fight, ReaperMyotismon was already escaping through his portal. The Digidestined had failed to stop him. She had failed to stop him.

A few minutes had passed since ReaperMyotismon's escape, and the portal still remained open. Omnimon, Imperialdramon, and HerculesKabuterimon stood guard around it in the event something was to emerge from it. Gatomon knew nothing would; the portal had been left open as an invitation to follow.

"Tai!" Izzy called out. "Would you mind getting me a scan of that thing?" Izzy pointed to portal. As always, he wanted all the information they could get before proceeding.

"Sure, you got it," Tai called back. He pulled the goggles hanging around his neck up to his eyes. Izzy had designed this particular set of goggles for this type of task. Concern washed over Tai's face as he looked at the portal. "Uh… Izzy?"

"I've never seen anything like this before." Izzy's face was buried in his laptop.

"I don't get it. What am I supposed to be seeing?" Davis asked. The leader of the second generation of Digidestined had pulled his own goggles over his eyes, and was looking at the portal.

T.K. had been the first to turn his attention to Davis, and was now covering his face with his hand. "What are you doing?"

"Scanning."

"No, you're not."

Izzy paid the two younger Digidestined no mind. He explained, "If I'm interpreting these wavelengths correctly, we're looking at a rip in the universe. A hole in reality itself."

"Is it safe to move through?" Tai asked. Gatomon brace herself, ready to move through the second Izzy gave the okay. Myotismon wanted them to do just that, and who was she to deny him that request.

"The portal is stable," Izzy began. He massaged his forehead with his index and middle fingers. "As for whether not it's safe, that would depend on what's on the other side."

"So, it's business as usual, then." Tai pulled his goggles up to his forehead. "Come on. We've already given Myotismon a head start."

"Hold up, Tai," Matt said. He was worried about something, and never shied away from telling Tai about these worries when they concerned the group. "We might have to take a minute to rethink that."

Tai grinned and crossed his arms. "I seem to recall the two of us having a conversation about me standing around and doing nothing."

"You're right. _We _need to go after him, but what about them?" Matt pointed towards Joe, Mimi, and Yolei, who were holding their injured partners.

"I guess they'll have to stay behind."

"Seriously?" Gomamon yelled. "You're benching us?"

"Calm down," Joe told his partner. He then turned his attention back to Tai. "I'll see what I can do about their injuries. Is it wrong to hope that you won't need us?"

Tai shrugged. "It would be nice if this fight could be that easy." Tai gave a last wave to his friends as he and Matt headed towards Omnimon.

The others followed suit, each heading towards one of the three Mega-levels. Gatomon made her way over to Imperialdramon, deciding there was no sense blindly jumping through the portal on her own. As she did, she noticed T.K. pull Cody aside.

"Do me a favor, Cody," T.K. said calmly. "Stay with the others."

The request seemed to confuse Cody. "But Armadillomon can still fight."

"I know. That's why I'm asking. Get the others back to the Real World and look after them." Gatomon could see T.K.'s logic. There was no telling what else could come up while they were gone, and Cody was least likely to argue about being left behind. Cody obviously agreed, as he went to join Joe's group without another objection.

"Maybe we should stay too." Kari's voice caught Gatomon off guard. Gatomon looked to her partner, who was more worried than any of the other Digidestined. She didn't have the words to explain to Kari why she had to go, so she just shook her head and scurried up to Imperialdramon's shoulder. Apparently, that was enough for the time being, as Kari joined her a few seconds later. Everyone was silent as they moved through the portal.

* * *

Universe 450: The Digital World- Exact Location Unknown

Calumon had never seen so much green in his entire life. Upon exiting the Sovereigns' portal, he and his friends found themselves in the middle of a massive field. Grass-covered hills stretched as far as their eyes could see. Adding to Calumon's sense of ease was the fact that the sky was clear and the sun beamed down on them.

"Would you look at this place," Terriermon said. "We should vacation here when this mess is all sorted out."

"Are we sure this is the Digital World?" Calumon asked. If so, their own Digital World could definitely learn a thing or two. It was broken and barren in comparison.

"It's so different from ours," Renamon answered. The fox digimon looked off into the distance as she spoke. Renamon then closed her eyes. "It's not just superficial either. There's a calm center to this world."

Calumon closed his eyes to see if he could sense it too, but was interrupted by the sound of Guilmon moving around just behind him. Guilmon was sniffing at the ground and air, as though he were looking for something. Before Calumon could ask what was bothering him, Guilmon smiled and tore off towards one of the larger hills.

"Yes, I sense it too," Renamon said. She began to move in the same direction as Guilmon. Terriermon followed first, and then the others, leaving Calumon and Impmon to chase after them.

"Hey! What's the big idea? Hold up a sec!" Impmon called as he ran. Calumon lagged just behind, wishing he had longer legs the entire time. The two of them reached the top of the hill, and looked down to eight humans picking themselves off the ground. Calumon recognized every single one of them.

"Takatomon!" Guilmon cried out, tackling his partner just as he had gotten to his feet.

"Hey, boy," Takato hugged Guilmon before gently coaxing the digimon off of him. "Did you miss me?"

"Of course I did. So, what'd you bring me?"

Calumon leapt into the air, floating over most of the others as they greeted their partners. "Jeri! Jeri! Jeri!" he cried out, eventually ending up on top of the girl's head. "I went through this portal and ended up in the most beautiful field I've ever seen."

"Yeah, I can relate," Jeri replied warmly.

Only Impmon stood apart from the group. After a couple minutes, he asked, "Where's Ai and Mako?" No one answered right away.

"They couldn't make it to the park today," Henry stated.

"Something about a family thing they had to go to," Suzie added. She was still holding Lopmon in her arms. "They were supposed to be back this afternoon, but I guess that doesn't do us much good now."

"Speaking of," Rika interrupted. "Where were you guys earlier? And where are we now?"

"Well, it's all rather complicated," Renamon said as she began to recount their tale.

* * *

Izzy could find no trace of Myotismon in the field they had landed in. They had exited the portal high in the sky. Having seen no trace of the digimon they were following, they had no choice but to stop and get their bearings. The three Mega-level digimon they had been flying on had returned to their Rookie forms and were resting.

"Are you guys positive you can't sense him?" Tai asked the digimon.

"Yep," Gatomon replied grimly. She seemed to be more disappointed than the rest.

With efforts to continue the mission stalled, Izzy decided to turn his attention to figuring out where they were. He knew they hadn't returned to the Real World, but their landing zone didn't look like any area of the Digital World he'd ever been to. Tai and Matt seemed to have the same idea. The pair had moved away from the group and seemed to be discussing their options.

"I just don't see what there is to discuss. Let's just pick a direction and start walking," Davis suggested. He had sat himself on the ground near Izzy and was looking around the group for someone to agree with him.

"Davis, we don't know anything about this place. There's no sense getting lost before we have the lay of the land," Sora explained calmly.

"I don't see how we could get lost." Davis looked over the field. "It's pretty obvious we're still in the Digital World."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Izzy said. Even without referring to his laptop, he was starting to put the pieces together.

"You think it's a different dimension?" Ken asked. "Like the Dark Ocean?"

"I wouldn't say that either."

"Oh boy," Patamon said. The little digimon had settled himself atop T.K.'s head. "I sense an 'Izzy Theory' coming on."

"It's like this," Izzy began. He pulled out his laptop and showed off the data he had gotten from Tai's goggles. He knew most of them wouldn't understand it, but he figured it gave them something to look at. "The readings coming off of that portal weren't like any gateway we've encountered in the past. I think we might have moved into a completely separate reality. While I believe we're standing in _a_ Digital World, I don't think it's _our_ Digital World. Understand?"

"Sort of," Davis said, scratching his head.

"It's very theoretical stuff," Ken added. He paused, likely trying to come up with a plainer way of explaining Izzy's theory. "Davis, what would you say is the most important decision you ever made?"

"That's a tough one," Davis paused, and then smiled. "Probably the day I decided to go to the Digital World for the first time. I met Veemon, and everything else since spun out of that."

"Great. Now imagine a world where you decided to never go to the Digital World, or maybe a world where you were never born at all. Some theorists believe there are countless realities, each one a slight iteration from the last. It's called Multiverse Theory, and until today, I thought it was pure science fiction."

"Yeah, and we don't have _any_ experience with stuff like that," T.K. said. He looked up at Patamon and grinned. "Anything else we should know?"

"It would be nice if we could figure out a heading," Izzy replied.

"If I may," Gabumon said. He and Agumon had rejoined the group during Ken's speech. "I believe there's a group of digimon a little ways south of here. Maybe the locals will have some information for us."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Sora said. She then turned her attention to Tai and Matt. "Hey, lovebirds! We're gonna start moving." The two looked at each other awkwardly and then rejoined the others without saying a word.

The group began to follow Agumon and Gabumon. As Izzy was collecting his things to follow, he noticed Tentomon was having trouble flying. He pulled his partner aside and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Nothing to worry about, Izzy," Tentomon answered. Despite his usually expressionless face, Izzy could tell the digimon was hiding something. He raised an eyebrow, and Tentomon nervously revealed a set of wounds under his shell. Izzy berated himself for not noticing these sooner.

"If I'd known about these, I would have had us stay behind with Joe," Izzy stated.

"Which is why I didn't say anything. The others need you, and I wasn't going to be the reason you weren't there for them. Don't worry. I promise I won't get into any fights unless it's an emergency."

Izzy sighed. Over the years, he had come to accept that his role on the team didn't always have to involve fighting. Still, the last fight had put a third of their team out of commission, and losing another member would not make the coming battles easier. Izzy looked towards the others and then back a Tentomon. "Come on. We don't want to fall too far behind. Who knows? Maybe our luck will start to change."

* * *

The fight with the creatures under Shibuya hadn't taken long. Realizing that the Digital World was likely in peril again, the Legendary Warriors immediately followed the tracks to their destination. The six of them, now back in their human forms, rested in the middle of a grassy field.

"As far as views go, they don't get much better than that," J.P. said, breaking the silence. Koji had to agree. The Real World didn't have places like quite this, or at least not any that Koji had ever been to.

"I wonder what's changed while we've been gone, time dilation being what it is," Koichi said, not speaking to anyone in particular.

"What do you think Bokomon and Neemon are up to?" Zoe asked. Like Koichi, her question wasn't directed at any one person. Her attention was directed squarely at the view in front of them.

"Bokomon is probably trying to explain some important piece of information to someone," Koichi suggested.

"And Neemon is right by his side, confused as hell," J.P. added.

It was then that Tommy started laughing hysterically. Everyone immediately turned their attention to the youngest warrior, who asked, "Do you guys think Seraphimon still calls Bokomon his 'Papa-Mom'?"

"That's a good question," Zoe said, laughing with Tommy. "What do you think, Takuya?"

"I think I'd die a little on the inside if he didn't." Takuya hadn't said much since they arrived, having spent most of the time playing with his D-Tector. Koji didn't need any kind of mental link to know something was bothering him. He took a breath and moved to sit next to the Warrior of Flame.

"What's on your mind?" Koji asked. He wouldn't have been surprised if Takuya didn't answer, considering how he reacted when their positions were reversed.

"Do me a favor, Koji," Takuya replied instantly. "Check what spirits are currently loaded on to your D-Tector."

Koji did just that. In addition to his own spirits, he found those of Mercurymon and Ranamon. "And you?" Koji asked.

Takuya nodded and held up his D-Tector. "Arbormon and Grumblemon are accounted for."

"I guess whoever called us here thinks we'll need EmperorGreymon and MagnaGarurumon."

"Or Susanoomon." Koji couldn't help but flinch at the sound of the name. Something about the thought forming the ancient digimon bothered him and, again, he wasn't sure why. Koji's reaction didn't go unnoticed by Takuya, who simply stared at him. Koji couldn't tell if Takuya was worried or hurt.

Koji didn't get a chance to ask which, as an explosion rang out in the distance. "I think there's a fight going on out there," Koichi called over to them.

Takuya stood up without looking at Koji. "Let's go check it out, then," he called back.

* * *

"Well, this Saturday is officially ruined," Kenta complained. No one seemed to pay his comment much mind, as they were still trying to process the information Renamon had just recited for them. The D-Reaper, or at least a D-Reaper, had its sights set on tearing reality apart. The Tamers had barely survived their last encounter with the program, and Takato knew that the coming battle was unlikely to be any different.

Takato was also still trying to wrap his head around where they had ended up: A Digital World in a universe completely separate from their own. He hoped the Sovereign would also provide a means to return home, because no obvious method came to mind.

"Here's what I don't understand," Kazu said. "If the Sovereign are so high and mighty, why aren't they here too? Why not fight their own battles?"

"They're more than likely preparing to do so as we speak," Lopmon explained. As a former Deva, she had more insight into the Sovereigns' methods than the rest of them. "They're probably preparing a contingency plan should we fail."

"And it's not just their fight," Takato added. "The D-Reaper tried to destroy our world too, and won't think twice about doing so again. We have to help, any way we can."

No one said anything at first, and reactions to Takato's declaration seemed mixed. He looked to Rika and Henry, who nodded back at him. They agreed with what he said, and would back his play no matter what the others chose to do. Guilmon nudged up against him gently, his way of indicating solidarity with his partner.

Takato got nothing from Jeri, but that didn't surprise him. The D-Reaper had hurt her the most last time around. Impmon crossed his arms and stared at the ground. The little digimon would likely want to fight, but Takato was worried he wouldn't be much help without his partners. Kazu, Kenta, and Suzie seemed scared, but none of them were likely to admit it.

Luckily, Ryo seemed to notice all this and stepped up. "Look guys," he began. He waited a beat until he had their attention, and then continued in a soft voice. "I'm scared too, but we can't let that stop us. We've faced impossible odds before and we pulled through. As long as we have each other's backs, it'll play out the same way."

"Then let's go delete that psychotic program," Suzie responded with no fear in her voice. The worried look on her face had gone away the second Ryo had started speaking.

Ryo looked over to Takato for approval, and Takato couldn't help but grin back at him. Had the situation been less dire, Takato might have been jealous of how easily Ryo had pulled the others out of their funk. Takato didn't dwell on the thought, as Ryo's words seemed to have the desired effect. Kazu and Kenta both seemed to have their spirits back too.

"I guess that crap's all sorted out," Rika said dryly. She turned her attention back to Takato. "For the record, I liked your cheesy speech better, Goggle-head."

"Thanks, I guess," Takato replied, deciding to take the back-handed compliment. The comment also reminded him of his goggles, which he pulled up to his forehead. If he was going to charge into battle, he might as well look the part.

"Bleh!" an unfamiliar voice called out. "Human sentiment."

"Let's just put them out of their misery," said a second.

The Tamers looked to the source of the voices. Two dog-like digimon were slowly walking towards them.

"Cerberumon," Henry read off his D-Power. "Ultimates with nasty fire attacks."

"Listen, boys," Renamon addressed the two. "We're just passing through. We don't want any trouble."

"Why should we believe you?" the first Cerberumon asked. "First, chaos starts breaking out all over this sector, and then you show up."

"Chaos?" Renamon inquired. She was too smart to think the choice of words was coincidental, and Takato agreed.

"Besides," the second said, ignoring Renamon's comment. "Our brother got himself digitized by a group of humans a long while back. Even if you have nothing to do with the chaos, we couldn't let you go on principle."

"Sheesh, racist much," Kazu commented. "Guardromon, shut these asshats up."

"With pleasure," Guardromon replied. "GUARDIAN BARRAGE!"

Two missiles shot from his arms, causing the Cerberumon to jump to avoid the attack. Cyberdramon took the opportunity to tackle one in midair and drag him away from his brother. Ryo went after them, with Suzie, Kazu, and their partners close behind. The remaining Cerberumon let loose a fire attack that scattered Takato and the others.

"Hey, moron!" Terriermon yelled. "Watch where you point that thing!"

"I have no time for your words, vermin," the Cerberumon replied.

"Too bad, because I have one more for you: Moumantai!"

"Die!" Cerberumon charged at Henry and Terriermon.

"You just have to make friends wherever you go, don't you?" Henry said to his partner, more annoyed than worried.

Luckily for them, Takato and Guilmon had already gone into action. The latter hit Cerberumon head on, causing them both to stop in their tracks. "Bad doggie," Guilmon growled at him. Takato could see another fire attack building in Cerberumon's throat, but didn't need to warn his partner. Guilmon drove his right claw in the dog's neck, causing him to jerk his head upward. The flames shot into the air harmlessly.

Unfortunately, this gave Cerberumon the leverage he needed to raise his own claw and slash Guilmon across the chest. Guilmon went flying backwards, and Takato felt the claws cut across his own chest. It was the one downside to the physical link between Guilmon and himself. The pair was unable to do anything about Cerberumon's follow-up attack.

The dog charged, only to be knocked off course when a small, green tornado collided with his head. The tornado, of course, was Terriermon repaying Guilmon's save from earlier.

"We could really use our white mage right about now," Terriermon called out.

"Oh, right," Kenta said, realizing the comment was directed at him. "MarineAngemon?"

"Make the ouch go away," the little Mega replied. "KAHUNA WAVES!"

One of MarineAngemon's blue hearts floated towards Guilmon, and Takato could feel their strength returning. As Guilmon healed, Takato caught a glimpse of Renamon as she leapt into the air and positioned herself directly above Cerberumon.

"DIAMOND STORM!"

Dozens of shards rained down on Cerberumon, embedding themselves in his skin and immobilizing him. Takato turned his attention back to Guilmon, who he could feel had received an attack boost in addition to being healed. "Finish him, boy," he ordered.

"PYRO SPHERE!"

Guilmon's attack made contact, turning Cerberumon into dust. Takato turned to the other fight in time to see the second Cerberumon knock Guardromon into Cyberdramon.

"That's going to leave a dent," Guardromon moaned.

"No more kid stuff," Suzie snapped. The youngest tamer revealed two modify cards and drove them through her D-Power. "DIGI-MODIFY!" Based on the results, Takato assumed she had used an alias card in conjunction with a speed boost. Cerberumon repeatedly lunged at Lopmon, unable to make contact. When he finally did, his prey was revealed to be a clone. Before the dog knew how to react, Lopmon was right behind him.

"BLAZING ICE!"

Lopmon's attack made contact, covering its target with patches of ice. As the name suggested, the ice seemed to be simultaneously immobilizing and burning Cerberumon. Obviously still angry about being made a fool of earlier, Cyberdramon charged the frozen digimon.

"DESOLATION CLAW!"

With that, Cerberumon joined his brother. The Tamers quickly regrouped, all knowing that eliminating their two attackers meant they had no one left to question.

"What should we do now?" Jeri asked.

"I don't know. Maybe we should-" Henry was interrupted by Terriermon tugging on his arm. "What's wrong?"

"Question: When did our fight draw such a large audience?" Terriermon asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"See for yourself."

Takato looked around, expecting to see more digimon. Instead, six human children were staring down at them from the top of a hill. Takato turned around ask his friends what they thought of this development, only to catch a glimpse of another group on a hill in the opposite direction. This group contained eight humans and just as many digimon. Somehow, the day had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the list of things I hate about this story is the fact that I wrote out Mimi, Joe, Yolei, and Cody in this chapter. It makes it seem like I don't like them when that's not the case. Quite the opposite in fact. At the time, I told myself that it was a matter of keeping the plot simple and leaving out characters that didn't contribute, but that's kinda crap in retrospect. All the Frontier characters are here, and the only two that do anything of significance are Takuya and Koji.
> 
> TL;DR- I could have come up with something for them to do.


	4. Reconcilable Differences

Universe 450: The Digital World- Exact Location Unknown

Naturally, the sizes of the three groups coming together meant that introductions took a little while to finish. As Koji did his best to memorize all of the names he had just learned, he also tried to make sense of the situation they were in. Their new allies, if they were that, claimed to be Digidestined from alternate universes. What's more, they all seemed to be looking into the same world-ending catastrophe.

Assuming they could take everything they heard at face value, Koji still had one major issue with this new team they seemed to be putting together. With the exception of the nine-year-old Suzie, all of these new Digidestined were a bit older than Koji and rest of his team, most falling between the ages of fourteen and sixteen. Tai, Matt, and Sora had confirmed they were seventeen, which Koji assumed meant they would try taking leadership roles. After all the fighting he had done for the Digital World, it bothered Koji that he and his friends could end up in the kid's corner.

Koji decided to worry about that later. At that second, everyone was keeping to themselves and trying to process the information that had just been exchanged.

"Take your time, guys," Izzy said calmly. "I know it's a lot of information, and not all of it is easy to take in."

"Are you referring to any part in particular?" Takuya joked. He showed off a nervous grin. "The bit about alternate realities, maybe? Or the psychotic digimon with vampire tendencies? Or the rogue computer program that wants to kill anything that's 'evolved past its parameters'? Take your pick."

"What I want to know is why this 'D-Reaper' would even bother trying recruit one of our old enemies," Izzy pondered, not addressing anyone in particular. "Something isn't adding up."

"Especially when you consider that our D-Reaper didn't play well with others," Henry added. He stepped forward as he spoke, with Terriermon clinging to his shoulder.

"Maybe misery really does love company," Terriermon suggested.

"And why this universe?" Henry asked, ignoring his partner's comment. "There must be something here that they need if they made the detour."

All eyes turned to the Legendary Warriors. They had already established that this was their Digital World during introductions. If there was anyone among them that could answer Henry's question, it would be one of the six of them. Koji's first thoughts were of the spirits of the ten Legendary Warriors, but he couldn't come up with a logical explanation as to why the D-Reaper would be interested in them.

"I might have an answer for that question," Takuya said, or at least Koji had thought it was Takuya. When Koji turned to face his friend, Takuya was pulling his D-Tector out of pocket. He pressed a button and a transparent Agunimon projected himself from the device. "Long time, no speak, guys," Agunimon said, greeting the six of Warrior Digidestined first.

"What in the world…" Izzy moved closer to get a better view of the spirit.

"What have you got for us, Agunimon?" Takuya asked.

"Aspects of the D-Reaper have been showing up in this region for a few days now," Agunimon answered, speaking loudly so everyone would hear. "The Celestials have organized some of their forces to contain these situations, but we think it's only a matter of time before they reach their intended target."

"Which would be…?" Koji asked.

"The Village of Beginnings. Actually, we're not that far from it now. Just a couple hours walk that way." Agunimon pointed towards the northeast. He then paused and scratched the back of his head. His change in expression suggested that he knew they wouldn't like what he had to say next. "We think the D-Reaper is after Lucemon."

Takuya nearly dropped his D-Tector at hearing Agunimon's answer. A chill ran down Koji's spine, and he more questions now than ever. "But I thought we destroyed him," was all Koji was able to vocalize. Last time around, only Susanoomon had been strong enough to defeat the fallen digimon. If the D-Reaper and Myotismon were as powerful as the others claimed, Koji didn't even want to think about the destruction that would follow if all three were set loose.

"I take it that Lucemon wasn't a nice guy," Davis said, probably wanting to break up the silence the last revelation had caused.

"You could say that," J.P. replied for the group.

"Honestly," Agunimon continued, "we thought he was dead, too. Then, not long after you guys went home, his egg showed up in the Village of Beginnings. Even weirder, it still hasn't hatched to this day."

"What do you need from us?" Tai asked.

"Surprised any of you have to ask," Agunimon responded. He grinned at Tai, sounding and acting more like Takuya than an ancient Digimon. "Just do what you guys do best." The projection blinked off.

"Alright, let's get to that village then," Tai told the group. Koji rolled his eyes, and was going to say something before someone else beat him to the punch.

"So, what? You're in charge, just like that?" Rika said, not trying to hide her irritation.

Tai seemed more confused than anything by the statement. He collected himself to respond, but was interrupted when Takato stepped in between him and Rika. "Look, what she meant was…uh," Takato put up his hands and smiled nervously, and then turned back to Rika. "Rika, tell Tai you're sorry."

"No!" Rika snapped. "We're a team, and have gotten along fine for years. What right does he have to start telling us what to do?"

"Does it really matter who's in charge? We all want the same thing, after all." Takato kept his focus on Rika, but spoke loudly so everyone could hear him. He then turned away from Rika and his friends to address everyone else. "_We _are going to have a quick team meeting. We'll be back with you in just two minutes." Takato risked looking back at Rika, who looked like she was going to slug him. "Make that three minutes."

"Actually, that's not a bad idea," Tai commented, exchanging an almost familiar nod with Takato before returning to his own group. Koji decided it was best to do the same.

His friends had already started conversing without him. "I mean…what are the chances?" Zoe asked the group.

Koichi shrugged. "It stands to reason that other Digital Worlds would have their own Digidestined."

"No, I mean the goggles." Zoe pointed at Takuya's forehead. "What are the chances we'd end up with four guys with the same, stupid fashion sense?"

"Oh. Well, that I couldn't tell you."

"You guys know I can hear you, right?" Takuya interjected pettily.

"Do we have a plan?" Koji asked, mainly towards Takuya.

"Tai's idea is solid," Takuya said nonchalantly. He put both his hands behind his head. "Do you have a better idea?"

"Am I the only one of us not okay with taking orders from complete strangers?"

"Well, we were 'complete strangers' once, but now look at us. Agunimon seems to trust these guys, and so do I."

"Just let it go for now, Koji," Koichi said in a concerned voice. "If it makes you feel any better, I think we can trust these guys too."

"Same here," J.P. chimed in. "Besides, we can't save the Digital World if we're fighting amongst ourselves."

Koji knew neither Tommy nor Zoe would say anything so long as Tai had Takuya's seal of approval, so he stayed quiet. Realizing the other two groups were getting ready to move, the Warriors did the same. Koji hoped the walk to the Village of Beginnings wouldn't be a long one.

* * *

Elsewhere

ReaperMyotismon clenched his right fist, which had finally finished regenerating. After retreating through the portal he opened, he had sought out a sizable crevice to hide in. At this point, he had two goals: heal and prepare for his next encounter with the Digidestined, as well as get some answers from his new partner.

Perhaps "partner" was not the correct word to describe the D-Reaper. It had made it very clear that it thought little of Myotismon during their initial "conversation." If Myotismon were to simply be a means to an end, so be it. He would just have to bide his time until an opportunity to assert control presented itself. Until then, Myotismon could settle for answers.

Then, almost on que, one of the cords on his back unraveled itself and shapeshifted into a vaguely humanoid creature. Thanks to the small amount of information that passed freely between himself and the D-Reaper, he knew that this creature was one of the latter's agents, designated ADR-01.

"Your distress is impeding the progress of our mission," it said in an androgynous voice. "Please reframe from excess emotion."

"Not until I am allowed to know more about 'our mission'," Myotismon growled back.

"You do not require that information."

"I beg to differ. You assimilated me for a reason. I demand to know why."

While the ADR-01's face did not betray any emotion, it did pause before complying. "The D-Reaper exists to ensure that no beings, organic or digital, exceed their allotted parameters. Over the years, both digimon and humans have done just that. You are here to assist us in our goals."

"How so?" Myotismon could sympathize with the D-Reaper's mission. Humans and most digimon were weak, and needed to be either be reined in or terminated. If Myotismon could find a way to remain necessary to the D-Reaper, he believed they could actually get along quite well.

"The assimilation of sentient beings allows us to better understand and destroy others like it. One of our counterparts, however, selected a being that proved to be uncooperative, and our counterpart was destroyed as a result. We selected you in the hopes you would be different."

"Have I not proven thus so far?" Myotismon was beginning to understand how the being thought. He only needed the right opportunity to press his advantage.

"Curious," the ADR-01 said as it examined ReaperMyotismon's form. "You acclimated to the assimilation far better than we anticipated. You should not have been able to maintain your individuality."

There was his opportunity. Myotismon grinned and spoke humbly. "Don't you understand the advantage this allows you? You will never be able to truly understand sentient creatures, I am sorry to say. We do not even understand each other. I can, however, provide you the means to think like one yourself."

"We will consider what you have said," the ADR-01 said slowly. Thanks to the link between them, Myotismon could tell the creature was telling the truth.

"Allow me a chance to prove myself. Tell me your plan and I can advise on how to improve it."

The ADR-01 did not speak. It simply closed its eyes, which resulted in a new body of information becoming available to Myotismon. The D-Reaper had had two goals in coming to this alternate Digital World. The first had been to network with its counterpart here. Doing so would double its available resources. This counterpart had also been planting seeds for its invasion of both the Real and Digital Worlds.

The D-Reapers second goal proved to be more intriguing. It had been looking for an alternate digimon to assimilate, in the event Myotismon had proven to be incompatible. This digimon was Lucemon, one who Myotismon had heard legends of his entire life. If Lucemon truly did exist, he would be a valuable asset.

"Continue your efforts to network with your counterpart here," Myotismon said plainly to the ADR-01. "Then postpone any efforts to begin your invasion. Our new goal will require our full attention."

"What action would you recommend?" the ADR-01 asked.

"First we acquire Lucemon. Them we make the destruction of the Digidestined our primary function. As long as they live, they will impede our efforts in all other areas."

The ADR-01 gave no sign of protest. It simply dissolved and rejoined with ReaperMyotismon. Myotismon could not help but burst out in maniacal laughter. Everything he wanted was within his reach.

* * *

En Route to the Village of Beginnings

Takato tried to subtly look over the group. Since their trek to the Village of Beginnings began, most of them had remained silent. Despite the fact they had agreed to work together, everyone stayed grouped with their respective teammates. Only a few of the digimon intermingled with one another.

"No, it's still regular bread. It's just shaped like my head," Guilmon explained to Agumon and Veemon. Takato had figured his partner would get along with those two. Takato had somewhat based Guilmon on the two of them. "It doesn't taste any different. Well, unless you add peanut butter, but I guess that would be true about almost anything."

"Yep. It's a lot like ketchup in that way," Agumon agreed.

"Just don't try them both at the same time," Veemon added, very matter-of-factly. "Davis does sometimes, and it makes my stomach churn."

Takato resisted the urge to laugh out loud, and turned his attention to the other digimon. Impmon was being uncharacteristically quiet. He had tried to digivolve during the earlier fight and, as Takato had suspected, had been unable to without Ai and Mako. Renamon had tried to explain to him that this was per normal, and Impmon hadn't spoken since.

Takato then looked to his friends and noticed Ryo looking back at Tai's group uneasily. "What's wrong?" Takato asked quietly.

"That guy, Ken, keeps giving me these weird looks," Ryo replied, turning his head slowly to face his friends.

"Have you guys met before?" Rika asked, almost uninterested.

"No. I don't think so. Honestly, I have no idea."

"Maybe he's a fan," Henry asked in a surprisingly bitter way.

Ryo noticed this and raised an eyebrow to Henry. "Is everything okay, Henry?" Takato looked to Rika, who gave him a "not our business" glance. Henry was obviously still not okay with the way Suzie had come to idolize Ryo.

Their conversation was quickly interrupted by Izzy turning his attention away from his own group. "Hey, Takuya. Do you mind if I ask you something?"

The self-proclaimed Legendary Warrior seemed surprised by the older Digidestined's interest. "Shoot."

"Am I right in assuming Agunimon is your partner digimon?"

"Well, you're not _wrong_. It's tough to explain." Takuya crossed his arms and looked away from Izzy for a couple seconds. He didn't seem to be avoiding the question, just trying to figure out the best way to answer it. "It's like this: we six are each paired with one of the ten Legendary Warrior spirits. In a fight, we spirit evolve and become said warriors."

"In other words, you actually become digimon," Izzy concluded. His face had lit up like Guilmon's when he's handed a fresh loaf of bread. "Prodigious."

"Sounds like biomerging," Henry said instinctively.

"What's that?"

"Forget it," Henry deflected. "The way today is going, you'll find out soon enough."

"It gets a little complicated from there," Takuya continued. Izzy immediately turned his attention back to the warrior. "For the longest time, I thought I was Agunimon, but then we got the end of our adventures here. Our spirits, for lack of a better phrase, came to life the same way you saw earlier."

"So, you _are_ separate beings," Izzy inferred.

"I… don't know. Turns out, we share a lot of personality traits with our spirits. When we spirit evolved earlier, it didn't feel like two separate personalities in one body. More like two halves becoming whole. Like I said, tough to explain." Takato understood somewhat, as it was the same way he felt when he biomerged with Guilmon. The only difference being that Guilmon maintained an individual voice during the process.

"C'mon, Takuya," Tommy interrupted. "Why tell when you can show?" The youngest warrior sprinted to the front of the group. He held up his digivice and called up a cluster of data with his free hand. Upon combining the two, Tommy was consumed by a cocoon of data, emerging as a giant, yeti-like digimon. Everyone came to a halt.

"Eh, I've seen bigger," Terriermon declared.

"Say hello to Korikakumon!" the digimon bellowed, still sounding remarkably like Tommy. He called on one of his massive axes and through it at a nearby hill, which exploded on impact.

"Tommy, what the hell is wrong with you?" Zoe yelled at him. Embarrassed, he reverted back to his human form. "Was all that really necessary?"

"Boys, go fig," Kari said lightly. She got laughs from some of the other girls as the group resumed its journey.

"Hey!" J.P. cried. "I would just like to point out that, of the sixteen human males here, only one of us felt the need to blow something up."

"Let's talk about something else," Tai suggested. Takato still couldn't believe he was standing a couple meters away from Tai Kamiya. It wasn't until introductions had ended that Takato realized he was talking to the characters from the TV show he grew up watching. During their "team meeting," Rika had suggested they were a D-Reaper trick, but Takato didn't get that feeling off any of the Digidestined. Ultimately, Henry had convinced them to keep the existence of the TV show a secret.

"How about we talk about your digimon?" Davis said to the Tamers. "I don't recognize a few of them."

"I'm not surprised," Jeri answered for the group. "Takato made up Guilmon and brought him to life."

"No kidding," Davis said, focusing on Takato. "That's awesome!"

"Okay, now I have a question for you, Izzy," Takuya said before Takato could acknowledge the compliment. "Last time we were here, I know I saw a bunch of Guilmon during our travels. How is that possible if Takato invented him?"

"Maybe Takato isn't as creative as we all gave him credit for," Terriermon joked. Takato ignored him, choosing to look to Izzy instead. If what Takuya said was true, he needed to know how.

"I would need more information before I could come up with a solid theory," Izzy finally answered. He pressed his hand against his chin, lost in thought. "Maybe Takato was subconsciously aware of this world's Guilmon and never realized it, or maybe his creation of Guilmon caused a ripple effect that caused them to born in this world." Takato had a hard time wrapping his head around either theory. He now wanted to tell Izzy his own adventures had been turned into a TV show more than ever, just to hear the prodigy's theories on that.

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised either way," Guilmon said cheerily. "Takato has a way of making his dreams come to life. This one time, he dreamed about-"

"Not another word, Dino-boy," Rika interrupted, trying to keep her anger in check. Guilmon's ears drooped down, and he stayed quiet. Before Takato had ever met Rika in person, he had seen her in a dream he had. She hated the story, and didn't want Guilmon telling it to anyone. Nervous, Takato risked a glance at Rika, who shot back a look that said "Say anything and I kill you."

"Okay, there's a story there and I really want to know it," Zoe said, addressing the other Tamers.

"Oh, no you don't," Takato replied, his voice cracking as he spoke. He tried to smile. "It's long and complicated and not that great a story so you should probably just forget about it."

"I guess it's an inside joke."

"Really inside," Ryo said as obnoxiously as he could. "I don't think I've ever heard this story either."

"And you're never going to!" Rika snapped, causing even the always-reserved Matt to flinch. Rika's face turned red as she continued, "Goggle-head is taking the story to his grave. Next topic!"

For a few seconds, no one spoke. Then Kari softly asked, "Why do you call yourselves 'Tamers'?" The question seemed to come out of nowhere, and Takato couldn't come up with good answer.

"Yeah, I'm curious about that too," T.K. agreed. "It's not like you guys are unfamiliar with the term 'Digidestined'."

"We've never really felt like the term applied to us," Henry explained. "Digidestined are chosen by whatever powers-that-be are in charge. Most of us chose to be what we are."

"So what is a Tamer?"

"Put simply," Ryo began. "We have our digimon fight other digimon so they can become stronger."

"Aw, nuts," Takato breathed. He wished Ryo hadn't worded it like that.

"That's… terrible," Kari said, obviously horrified by what she just heard. "What kind of monster forces digimon to fight each other?"

"Don't you dare try to pass judgment on us, Princess!" Rika yelled, causing everyone to stop in their tracks once again. Takato didn't bother trying to stop her. Rika was already wound up from before and needed to vent. He felt bad for Kari, but also knew this might be the fastest way for them to overcome their differences.

"I'm just calling it like I see it!"

"Please, you don't know anything about us! Being a Tamer is more than just fighting."

"Yeah, I take it there's a lot of killing too!"

"Screw you!"

"Out with it then. What else does being a Tamer entail?"

"Our bond with our digimon goes deeper than just combat. We think and act as one. When they hurt, we hurt. When they die…" Rika's eyes drifted towards Jeri, and she seemed to calm down. "Think before you speak or shut the hell up."

Kari didn't reply as Rika turned around to continue walking, looking at the ground. Takato gently placed his right hand on Rika's left shoulder. She didn't say anything, but didn't force his hand away either. Rika had once been one of the "monsters" Kari spoke about, and Takato knew she would carry that with her for the rest of her life.

"Have you guys ever inherited any other traits from your digimon?" Izzy asked, breaking yet another silence.

"What are you getting at?" Henry replied, curious more than anything.

"Follow me on this. Our digimon digivolve using strength we give them, but why has the opposite never been possible?"

"You want to know if it's possible for us to use their powers."

"If anything, meeting you all has proven that it's at least theoretically possible." Izzy motioned to both the Tamers and Warriors as he spoke. "If you can feel their pain, I can't think of any reason why you can't share positive aspects of your partners."

"We should test this theory out," Terriermon said. "Next time we get into a fight, Henry, you do the fighting while I swipe trading cards through a piece of plastic."

"You know, it's not as easy as it looks," Henry said, gently swatting the back of his partner's head.

"Yeah, I'll remember that next time a hellhound starts breathing fire in my face."

As a good portion of the group laughed at the comments, Takato began to hold out hope that they could pull together as a team.

* * *

The rest of the journey was uneventful. While not as quiet as when it first began, most conversations were smaller and calmer. Calumon didn't try to listen to any of them.

"There it is," Takuya called out suddenly. Calumon looked on to see a large amount of bushes surrounding a massive tree. "The Village of Beginnings."

"And, hopefully, the end of this nightmare," Jeri said so that only Calumon could hear.

"Hopefully," Calumon repeated. Even if they were able to secure the egg, he knew they would still have to fight the D-Reaper. Based on the mood of the group, no one thought that was going to be easy.

Calumon floated off of Jeri's shoulder, landing on the ground next to Impmon. After a couple seconds, Impmon finally acknowledged him. "What do ya want, Cream Puff?"

"Do you think there's anything we could do to help?"

"Not unless you plan on pullin' some kinda miracle out of your ass. Somethin' tells me we ain't gonna figure much inta this fight." Usually when Impmon said things like that, it was to be mean. Instead, he sounded sad.

"You don't really think that, do you?"

"Wouldn't say it if I didn't."

Calumon didn't respond. It was true that he wasn't much help when it came to actual fighting. He wanted that to change. If there was a way for him to help without getting in the way, he was going to take it.


	5. Gambits

Universe 450: The Digital World- The Village of Beginnings

"I don't get it. Do the eggs grow out of the bushes, or did someone place them here?" Patamon asked as he flew from bush to bush. He examined digieggs at each one before giving up and landing next to Gatomon.

"It is different from the Primary Village back home," Gatomon replied. She wasn't as enamored with the village as everyone else was. They were all spread out, looking the bushes up and down like Patamon had been doing. Gatomon was considering interrupting them so that they could get back on task. The more time they wasted, the more danger they placed the occupants of the village in.

"You tellin' me there's a place like dis where you come from?" The question came from Impmon, who had been standing within earshot of them. Next to him stood Renamon, who acknowledged the two smaller digimon with a nod.

"Yep, only ours has a whole lot less foliage," Patamon answered. "Where do digieggs come from in your Digital World?"

Neither of them answered the question right away. They reacted as though the question made no sense. "I don't think we have one," Impmon finally said.

"There are… legends that a place such as this once existed in our world," Renamon added. Her gaze shifted back to the bushes. "Maybe, given time, one such place can exist again."

"Then how are digimon born in your world?" Patamon asked. He looked between the two in disbelief. "And where does their data go after they die?"

"You must understand, our Digital World has seen much hardship," Renamon explained. "Most live by a single rule: Survival of the Fittest. In most scenarios, there is no data left to return to life."

"Why is that?" Gatomon asked softly. The universe the Tamers and their digimon came from was sounding bleaker all the time. One reassurance the Digidestined had always had was that the digimon they lost could come back to life. In Gatomon's experience, they usually did, with the still-painful exception of Wizardmon. Myotismon had seen to that.

"At the end of each fight, the victor will typically load the data of the defeated."

"I guess you could say we really are digital _monsters_. Some of us more than others," Impmon said guiltily. He then turned round and wandered off.

Gatomon looked to Renamon for clarification, but the fox shook her head in a manner that suggested it was not her story to tell.

"I'm gonna go ask T.K. if anyone's found Lucemon's egg yet." Patamon said before flying off.

"Unless you have any more stories to tell, we better do the same," Gatomon said to Renamon.

"Actually, I was wondering if I may be so bold as to offer some advice," Renamon said.

"About what?"

"Obviously I don't know the specifics, but I can tell there's currently a weight on your shoulders. If I had to guess, I'd say from past regrets."

"Do you have experience in that area?" Gatomon asked. Renamon seemed more perceptive than most. She likely spent a lot of time watching and listening to others, even when they weren't aware of her presence. Still, her words seemed to come from a genuine place of concern, so Gatomon found it hard to be insulted.

"I guess you can say that." Renamon paused for a beat to look towards her human partner. "Don't try to carry that weight on your own, especially when there are friends around who are willing to help you."

"What if you're worried about putting those friends in danger?"

"In my experience, let them decide for themselves if the risks are too great to take." Gatomon considered Renamon's words. Kari and the others would never hesitate when it came to protecting each other, but that was what worried Gatomon the most.

The pair moved to rejoin their friends, and found that a Swanmon had approached the Legendary Warriors. Based on how she addressed them, they seemed to know each other.

"Thank the Celestials," Swanmon said with relief in her voice. "If anyone can save us, it's you six."

"We're gonna do everything we can, Swanmon," Takuya assured her. "Right now, we need you to take us to Lucemon."

She complied, leading everyone into the massive tree in the center of the village. Leading them past a room filled with fresh-level digimon, Swanmon stopped at a door that led to a back room.

"Why aren't there any guards here?" Koji asked.

"There were," Swanmon replied. "Unfortunately, they were forced to relocate in order to fight the oncoming Chaos." She finished opening the door.

"How can you even be sure who the digiegg belongs to?" Izzy asked.

There was no need for anyone to answer. The egg sat in a secure container in the middle of the room. The digiegg was black and white and bore a purple Digital Hazard sign. The egg also gave off an energy that made it immediately stand out from the other eggs. While Gatomon wasn't necessarily sure it was evil, she was sure of the potentially destructive powers within.

"Should we just take the egg and go," Tommy asked.

Gatomon wished it could be that easy. "No," she began to explain. "Myotismon is probably on his way as we speak. If Lucemon's not here when he arrives, he'll kill every digimon here and crush the rest of the eggs out of spite."

"He can't possibly be that cruel," Zoe said, almost shivering.

"I'm guessing you have a plan," Kari asked worriedly. Gatomon could tell she was not only concerned about the inevitable battle that was to come, but also whether or not Gatomon's intentions were in the right place. She wanted destroy her old master for good, possibly even more than she wanted to save the village.

Gatomon nodded. "I know how he thinks. If we play this right, we can beat him here." The others gathered round as she began to explain her idea. Gatomon tried to keep up a confident façade, knowing the strategy would not be easy to execute.

* * *

Izzy placed a bassinette down inside one of the Trailmon's storage cars gently and securely. The fresh digimon in it had fallen asleep, as had many of the others. The Digidestined had been loading them and the digieggs onto the Trailmon for a couple hours now.

"I have to hand it to them," Tentomon said, landing at Izzy's side. "I've never been able to fall asleep that easily in times like these."

"Do you think they even understand what's going on?" Izzy asked.

"Maybe not the specifics, but I'd be willing to bet they know something is coming."

"What about you? Maybe you should take a break too." Despite his injuries, Tentomon had insisted on helping with the evacuation. To his credit, he wasn't showing any sign that it was too much for him to handle.

"I appreciate the concern, Izzy, but my answer is the same as before."

As the two of them made their way out of the car, Izzy could see some of the Tamers bringing in another group of digimon. He stepped aside so they could pass.

"Okay, okay… but what about a recharge card used in conjunction with a power upgrade?" Kazu asked quietly.

"You want to take this one, Suzie?" Ryo said looking back at the youngest Tamer. He placed a bassinette down and started for the exit.

"You'd have the same problem as before," Suzie explained confidently. "Both only provide temporary boosts. You'd be out of energy again before you know it."

"She really is way better at this game than you are," Kenta teased Kazu.

"Keep up the jokes, Kenta," Kazu replied. "Just don't forget about all the times that _I_ beat _you_."

Izzy made a mental note to ask one of the Tamers about letting him examine one of their digivices. The ability to implement the trading cards they were discussing fascinated Izzy, and could be worth studying once they had a free minute. After Kazu and Kenta walked past him, Izzy stepped off the train car. A split second later, Ryo landed right next to him.

"Kids, am I right?" Ryo joked. Izzy didn't reply, not being sure whether Ryo was referring to his friends or the digimon. As the two walked away from the car, they came across Takato, Rika, Henry, and their partners struggling with a few crying digimon.

"Is everything okay, guys?" Izzy asked cautiously.

"We're fine," Henry replied. He flinched as the crying grew louder.

"You mean we _were_ fine until someone woke them up," Terriermon complained.

"Sorry," Guilmon said. He looked at the ground, ashamed of what he had done. Izzy found it difficult to believe he was a Virus type.

"You know, your big mouth isn't helping," Takato said in defense of his digimon. He then picked up a crying Jyarimon from its bassinette, cradling it in an effort to calm it down.

"I can't take this anymore," Rika complained. Bassinette under her arm, she moved forwards towards Izzy and Ryo. "How could anyone put up with one of these snot-nosed brats on a regular basis?"

"You're not fooling anyone, Rika," Ryo declared. "We all know you'll change your toon once you settle down with the right guy."

"Whatever," Rika replied, seeming disinterested in what Ryo had to say. "I suppose you're going to tell me that this 'right guy' is you."

"Every queen needs a king." Ryo bowed in front of her. He lowered his voice as he added, "Although, lately I've been wondering if you're not more a knight-in-shining-armor type of girl." Ryo gestured over to Takato, who had finally calmed down the baby in his arms.

Rika nervously glanced at Takato. If Izzy didn't know any better, he'd say she was actually considering what Ryo had said. She ended up saying nothing, instead shoving Ryo aside and continuing towards the Trailmon. This time, Izzy made a mental note to make sure it wasn't Rika's digivice he asked to examine. He would probably have better luck walking through a minefield.

"If you guys are all set over here, I'm going to check in with Tai and make sure everything else is going to plan," Izzy said to the three remaining Tamers. They gave him a nod and he set off in the direction of his own team.

"Would you idiots be careful? You almost knocked those eggs over!" Izzy heard from one the cars he passed. He didn't stop to look in the car, but he was sure the voice belonged to Zoe. The girl seemed to extra protective of the eggs when they had started.

"You worry too much," Izzy heard Takuya answer casually. "They're tougher than you give 'em credit for."

"Yeah, I bet they'd barely crack if they fell over," Tommy added.

"How about I crack your heads instead?" Zoe yelled again.

Izzy began to walk a little faster, not wanting to be stuck in the middle of another argument. He had finally reached Imperialdramon, who towered over Izzy in his Dragon Mode. The Trailmon had not arrived right away, so it had been decided that the Digidestined would load the first batch of digieggs into the dragon's sizable storage compartment. That way, they could evacuate at least some of eggs should trouble arrive prematurely.

Tai and Sora stood underneath Imperialdramon, talking about something quietly. If they were as worried as Izzy was, they were doing a better job of hiding it. They stopped their conversation as Izzy approached to acknowledge him.

"Is everything okay?" Izzy asked.

"It's still quiet," Sora replied. "Matt and T.K. are patrolling right now. They said they'd send up a flare if anything changes."

"And Kari and Gatomon?"

"They're in place," Tai stated.

"Honestly, I'm a little surprised Gatomon volunteered for job, given the way she's been acting." Tai shrugged in response. Kari and Gatomon were currently watching over Lucemon and would be the ones to evacuate with the egg should the need arise. Hopefully, the combined forces of three teams of Digidestined would be enough to defeat Myotismon when he arrived.

"Something else on your mind, Izzy?" Sora asked, breaking his concentration.

"Nothing major. I noticed a lot of arguing between our new friends on the way here. Were we like that back in the day?"

Tai and Sora laughed before the former responded, "Hell yeah, we were. Honestly, I'm not convinced we _aren't_ still like that."

"I'm surprised there haven't been any fistfights yet," Sora added nostalgically.

"My money's on Rika starting one. That girl's definitely got some pent up aggression."

"Hey, leave her alone, Tai." Sora gave Tai a playful punch in the arm. "I bet you she surprises you."

"Isn't that the point of a wild card?" Tai crossed his arms and smiled back at Sora.

"Well, _I_ like her. Girl's got spunk and personality."

"On that, we can agree."

The two had stopped addressing Izzy by this point, but Izzy was used to this. Other people tended to drop away when Tai and Sora got deep enough into conversation. Still, they weren't so deep in conversation that didn't hear the explosions in the distance.

"I guess we're back on the clock," Agumon called out. He and Biyomon leapt off of Imperialdramon and landed next to their partners.

Any Digidestined loading the train put down what they were doing and gathered together. In the distance, Izzy could just make out MetalGarurumon and Seraphimon engaging ReaperMyotismon.

"Uh, what's the plan again?" a nervous Kenta asked.

Without giving their friend a direct answer, Takato, Rika, Henry, and Ryo pulled out their digivices. "BIOMERGE ACTIVATE!" they called out in unison, which set off a series of flashes of light. With that, the four Tamers and their partners were replaced by four Mega digimon Izzy had never seen before.

"We protect this village at all costs," one of them, a knight, said in a dual voice. "Got it?" The other three nodded and went off into battle. As they did, it finally clicked in Izzy's head what had happened. The Tamers had actually fused with their partners to achieve these forms. Izzy filed away yet another mental note to ask them about the process.

Izzy turned around in time to see Takuya and Koji exchanging nods. "We're going too," Takuya said, addressing Tommy, Zoe, J.P., and Koichi.

"Without us?" Tommy asked.

"Some of us need to stay behind and finish loading the train. Besides, you'll be with us in spirit." Takuya held up his digivice towards his friends, and Koji followed suit.

"Right, this crap," J.P. said while rolling his eyes. "Where you two basically steal our spirits and leave us in the dust. Still not a fan."

"Now's not the time, buddy," Takuya said in the most serious tone Izzy had heard from him yet. All six digivices lit up, seeming to indicate an exchange of power. Then Takuya and Koji took on what Izzy assumed were their own Mega forms. Without a word, the pair flew off after the Tamers.

"Let's get in there too," Davis declared.

"No, the eggs are priority," Tai stated. Izzy knew Tai had transitioned into his "no nonsense" mode. "You and Ken need to take whatever eggs you can fit onboard Imperialdramon and head to the rendezvous point."

"But Tai-"

"Now, Davis!" Tai snapped. The younger Digidestined shook his head and begrudgingly did as he was told.

"We'll go too, in case they need help," Jeri said, motioning for Calumon and Impmon to follow her onto Imperialdramon. Izzy moved towards Tai and Sora to help get the last few eggs on board.

* * *

As Gallantmon, Takato and Guilmon lacked one particular ability that most of the others seemed to possess: flight. Sprinting towards ReaperMyotismon as quickly as he could, Takato wished that Grani were still with them. Justimon, in the same boat as he was, ran alongside him while Sakuyamon and MegaGargomon flew overhead.

"Really?" Rika's said through Sakuyamon in a mocking tone. "'At all costs.' Melodramatic much?"

"I was in the moment," Takato replied.

"You and your moments, Goggle-head."

"Stay focused, guys," Henry interrupted. Henry liked to stay on task when the time came for a fight. To him, fewer distractions meant there was less of a chance of something going wrong. Still, Takato was fine with the banter before a fight. It provided a sense of normalcy at a time when normal was being thrown out the window.

"Moumantai, Henry," Terriermon chimed in. "How tough can this guy be?"

"Not as tough as us," a confident voice joined the conversation. Takuya and Koji flew alongside them as, if Takato had heard their names correctly, as EmperorGreymon and MagnaGarurumon.

Takato hoped that Takuya was right. Ahead, he could see that Seraphimon was on his knees and MetalGarurumon was in the clutches of ReaperMyotismon. The villain laughed as he squeezed the metal wolf's throat.

"He's just toying with them," MagnaGarurumon stated.

"Yeah, well I say we don't extend him the same favor," EmperorGreymon replied, temper seeming to be on the rise. He held his sword in both hands and pointed it at ReaperMyotismon.

"DRAGON-FIRE CROSSBOW!"

A massive fire blast emerged from the sword, and collided with its target. When the smoke cleared, ReaperMyotismon turned to face his attackers. He was singed, but didn't seem to be injured. ReaperMyotismon grinned, tossing MetalGarurumon into Seraphimon. The impact ended with the two Megas reverting back to their Rookie forms. While not seriously injured, Takato could tell they weren't rejoining the fight anytime soon.

"So you must be the new blood," ReaperMyotismon declared. Everything seemed to go cold around them as he spoke. Takato didn't remember him having this kind of presence in the TV show. "You should provide the perfect opportunity for me to test some of my new abilities."

The cords on ReaperMyotismon's back all uncoiled and dug themselves into the ground behind him. From the ground emerged familiar ooze, which coalesced into a D-Reaper body about the size of a baseball diamond. Takato knew what was coming next.

A large assortment of the D-Reaper's agents began to emerge from the body. About two dozen ADR-04's floated into formation. On instinct, Takato and Guilmon both willed Gallantmon into action, throwing themselves in between Gabumon and Patamon and the agents. They brought up their shield, Aegis, just as the ADR-04's released their energy volley. From behind Aegis, Takato could see Sakuyamon, MegaGargomon, and Justimon either diving for cover or assuming defensive positions. Less prepared than the four Tamers, EmperorGreymon and MagnaGarurumon took a couple direct hits before doing the same.

Scanning the field, Takato finally found the hill that Matt and T.K. were taking cover behind. "Cover me!" he called, getting a nod from Sakuyamon in return. As he picked up the two Rookies, she moved into attack position.

"SPIRIT STRIKE!"

Four energy attacks emerged from the shaman's hand, completely destroying a cluster of ADR-04's. This gave Gallantmon the opening he needed, leaping into the air and away from the battle. After a short sprint, he made it to Matt and T.K. and set their partners down in front of them.

"Just stay here for now," Gallantmon ordered. "We'll be back for you when we get a better opening."

"Takato, is that you?" T.K. asked with a confused look on his face. Takato realized that the two brothers had never seen him in this form.

"There'll be time for explanations later. Until then, keep your heads down." Neither argued as Gallantmon turned around and ran back to the fight.

As he got closer, he saw MagnaGarurumon release a volley of his own. The net of missiles and laser blasts destroyed half of the remaining ADR-04's.

"Hey, you're not the only one who can do that," MegaGargomon called out, revealing his own arsenal. "MEGA BARRAGE!" The remaining ADR-04's were no more.

"Who's next?" Terriermon asked cockily.

"Terriermon…" Henry cautioned.

"C'mon, Henry. What's the worst that can-" Terriermon's question was interrupted as the ground beneath MegaGargomon began to shift. An ADR-05 emerged from the ground behind the Mega and attached itself to his back. "I _really_ hate these things."

Gallantmon was about to move to assist, but EmperorGreymon beat him to it. EmperorGreymon leapt at the creature, driving his sword in its head. Takato thought the sword had gotten stuck until it lit up, burning the ADR-05 from the inside out.

"Thanks for the save," MegaGargomon said wearily. As he spoke, three more ADR-05's emerged from the ground around them.

"Thank me after we deal with them," EmperorGreymon replied. He then turned his attention to Gallantmon. "We can handle these things, Takato, but Ryo looks like he could use a hand." They both turned their attention to Justimon, who found himself up against half a dozen ADR-06's.

"Okay," Gallantmon said with a nod. "Good luck you guys."

"Who needs luck?"

Gallantmon charged through the battlefield, catching glimpses of Sakuyamon and MagnaGarurumon dispatching more agents. He knew they could hold their, so he focused his attention on the ADR-06 Justimon was grappling with. He impaled the thing with his lance, Gram.

"Aw, and we were just getting to know each other," Ryo joked as he stood up. Justimon's right arm shapeshifted into a massive metal gauntlet as turned to face the remaining five ADR-06's.

"It's for the best," Gallantmon responded in kind. He took aim with Gram. "I don't think his friends liked you very much."

"Nobody's perfect."

"LIGHTNING JOUST!"

"THUNDER CLAP!"

The two attacks barreled towards their targets, causing them to evaporate. Gallantmon examined the battlefield once again, seeing that his friends had done the same to the rest of the D-Reaper's agents. The six gathered around ReaperMyotismon, who was still tethered to the D-Reaper body. He had been watching them casually the entire time.

"Is that the best you can do?" EmperorGreymon asked as though it were a challenge.

ReaperMyotismon only grinned at the question, calling forth a large amount of energy with his right index finger. It dawned on Takato why villain was able to so easily get under their skin: he was enjoying himself.

"CRIMSON STORM!"

"Aw, nuts…" Gallantmon breathed as he raised Aegis to protect himself from the raining shards.

* * *

As Imperialdramon lifted off the ground, Tai took a few steps in the direction of the battle. He had been keeping an eye on it the entire time. "Sora, you're in charge. Finish loading that train. I'm going after the others so they don't get themselves killed. Let's go, Agumon!" With that Tai and his partner ran into battle, leaving the remaining Digidestined in the dust.

"Stupid Tai… I can't believe him sometimes." Frustrated, Sora turned her attention to Izzy. "Izzy, you're in charge. Finish loading that train. I'm going after our fearless leader so he doesn't get himself killed. Let's go, Biyomon!" The pair ran off as well.

Izzy sighed, deciding that some things would never change. He was about to start issuing instructions to those who remained when Suzie and Lopmon tore off towards the fight. "Oh, this is not happening," Izzy whined.

"Sorry," Kenta said, rubbing his shin. "I told her to stay, but she kicked me and ran off."

"Said there was no way she was sitting this out," Kazu added. "You want us to go after her?"

"No! I mean…" Izzy collected himself. "No we've got jobs to do. I'm sorry, but she's going to have to look after herself." He hated himself a little bit for making the decision, but they were stretched too thinly as it was. He looked towards the battle one more time, wishing there was something else he could do.

* * *

The attack soon subsided, with all of them more or less in one piece. Unfortunately, ReaperMyotismon had used the distraction to spawn even more of the D-Reaper's agents. Gallantmon braced himself for the oncoming army.

"We need a new strategy," Henry called out.

"Hey, I'm open to suggestions," Rika replied.

"I got one," EmperorGreymon stated. He turned to face MagnaGarurumon. "We need Susanoomon."

"Alright, let's give it a try," MagnaGarurumon responded. Takato knew he heard hesitation in the Warrior of Light's voice, but didn't get a chance to ask why. The D-Reaper's agents were surrounding them and they needed a trump card.

"Whatever you guys are gonna do, you better do it fast," Sakuyamon ordered.

"Okay, here goes nothing," EmperorGreymon said. He stood in front of MagnaGarurumon, both calling up a large amount of energy.

"ANCIENT SPIRITS UNITE!" they both said in unison.

Then, as quickly as it appeared, the energy dissipated. EmperorGreymon and MagnaGarurumon both still in place, both obviously shocked by the failure of whatever digivolution they had been attempting.

"I don't get it. Why didn't it work?" EmperorGreymon asked slowly. He looked MagnaGarurumon in the eye, his own filling with anger. "Koji, what did you-"

A pillar of crimson energy interrupted the question, colliding with EmperorGreymon and sending him flying into a nearby hill. "Takuya!" MagnaGarurumon yelled after him. Takato and the other Tamers looked towards the rubble and saw the Warrior of Flame emerge, now back in his human form.

"Well that was anticlimactic," ReaperMyotismon mocked. He then raised his right arm, a signal for his small army to begin their offensive.

Energy blasts and horned creatures rained on them, and Gallantmon lost track of his friends in the chaos. He batted away an ADR-06 with Aegis before impaling two more with Gram. He turned around quickly enough to block an energy attack from an ADR-04 before leaping up to avoid getting mobbed. Before he landed back on the ground, a few agents piled on his back and forced him to the ground.

"Takatomon," Guilmon called out as Gram was ripped from their hand. "I don't how much longer we can keep this up."

"We'll think of something, boy," Takato said, trying to reassure his partner. "Just hold on a little longer."

Then, almost on que, a massive fire attack swept the area, disintegrating the agents keeping them pinned. Gallantmon looked up and saw Phoenixmon fly overhead. No more than a couple seconds after that, WarGreymon burst through a crowd of the D-Reaper's agents, skewering a number of them with his massive claws. He followed this up by summoning a massive energy sphere in the palm of his hand.

"TERRA FORCE!"

The fire ball destroyed everything in its path, eventually coming to a halt near where ReaperMyotismon stood. The monster merely smiled before summoning another batch of agents, some of which immediately engaged WarGreymon and Phoenixmon.

Gallantmon used the temporary lull to figure out where everyone was. He couldn't see Tai or Sora, but knew they had to be nearby. Sakuyamon and MegaGargomon were still standing, but were showing signs of fatigue. Gallantmon then began scanning for Justimon, only for the Mega to land at his side.

"We need to go on the offensive," Justimon said calmly.

"Any ideas in particular you want to try?" Gallantmon asked.

"One or two." Justimon's right arm shapeshifted again, this time into his infamous Voltage Blade. He looked to ReaperMyotismon, and Gallantmon didn't need him to clarify. He intended to cut the cords on ReaperMyotismon's back, in the hopes that it would sever his connection to the other agents. "I was thinking 'Captain's Gambit'."

"We were only able to pull it off once in training."

"And we only need to pull it off once here."

Gallantmon nodded. Everyone else was preoccupied, so they didn't have many other options. He raised Aegis, pointing it at the oncoming agents.

"SHIELD OF THE JUST!"

A massive blast erupted from Aegis, destroying enough of the D-Reaper's agents so that Justimon could sprint through their ranks. The remaining agents did not react to him, instead continuing to charge at Gallantmon. That didn't matter. He only had one last part to play in this maneuver.

Once Justimon was in striking distance of ReaperMyotismon, he propelled himself into the air and above the former tyrant's head. ReaperMyotismon seemed to find this amusing, smirking and raising his left arm for another attack. With D-Reaper agents almost on top of him, Gallantmon loosened his grip on Aegis and threw it towards Justimon just as the agents pinned him down again.

Justimon caught Aegis in time to deflect ReaperMyotismon's attack. He allowed gravity to carry him downward, slamming Aegis into his attackers face. Justimon then vaulted himself over the hybrid monster, bringing his blade down hard on the crimson cords.

Only the blade had no effect aside from a loud _clang_. ReaperMyotismon cackled as he grabbed Justimon by the head and slammed him into the ground at his feet.

"Clever plan," ReaperMyotismon conceded. "It might have worked it I had not foreseen one of you Digidestined trying something like that."

"Well, I thought it was worth a try," Justimon said weakly. He slowly tried to pick himself up. "I've got no regrets."

Gallantmon immediately tried to stand himself up, but the weight of the D-Reaper agents forced him back down. From where he lay, he could see Sakuyamon and MegaGargomon in similar predicaments. They had caught on to what was going on, but were unable to overcome their attackers to help. All three were helpless as ReaperMyotismon called on a massive energy scythe and drove the blade through Justimon's chest.

Takato stayed quiet at first. He couldn't speak, nor could he even come up with anything to say. He just sat there, an uneasy mix of anger and nausea. He looked to Sakuyamon and MegaGargomon for answers, but got none. Rika and Henry were as much in shock as he was. Worse still, Takato looked past his two closest friends to the edge of the battlefield. There, Suzie and Lopmon stood, the former in tears over what she had been forced to witness.

One question kept flying around through Takato's mind: How had he allowed his to happen? He was their leader, or at least the closest thing the Tamers had to one. He was supposed to look after them and make sure things like this didn't happen. He'd promised Rika that they would all make it home this time.

Gallantmon turned his attention back to ReaperMyotismon, who stood before him laughing. As the last bits of Ryo Akiyama and Cyberdramon were dispersed into the ether, Gallantmon finally lost it. He screamed in rage before being consumed by a bright, crimson light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In retrospect, I actually don't harbor that many regrets about Ryo's death here. It serves its purpose, both within the greater narrative of this series as well just tone setting for this entry in particular. Would I do things differently a second time? Maybe, but given another chance to write it this entire story would probably be completely different.


	6. Seeing Crimson

Universe 450: The Digital World- Imperialdramon's Storage Compartment

"Who does Tai think he is?" Davis's yelling startled Calumon, almost causing him to knock over the neatly stacked eggs he was standing next to. Calumon turned and found the boy kicking a "wall." "Sending me off to babysit. Takato and Takuya get to fight. Hell, Tai's probably fighting now too."

"Davis, can you stop kicking us?" Imperialdramon's dual voice echoed through the compartment. "It makes it harder to fly."

"It's not fair. You'd think he would trust me after all this time."

"What would make you think something silly like that?" Calumon asked. He floated up to Davis's face so that he could look him in the eye. The boy needed to take a nap or something. He was acting cranky enough to give even Rika a run for her money.

"Look at the job we're stuck with." Davis tried to walk away, but Calumon floated after him. He came to a rest on Davis's shoulder.

"Without these eggs, this world doesn't have a future. Sounds to me like Tai gave you the most important job of all."

"Why didn't Tai just say that?" Davis kicked the wall again.

"Davis!" Imperialdramon snapped.

Calumon propelled himself off Davis's shoulder and floated back towards the eggs. Ken was standing next to the eggs, looking at Jeri and Impmon. The two were sitting in the back, leaning against opposite walls and not saying a word.

"Are you sad too?" Calumon asked Ken.

"No," Ken answered as though the question surprised him. "I guess I'm more worried than anything else."

"Everyone's always sad or worried or angry. I don't know how anything gets done around here with everyone being so down. I know times are tough, but they might get easier if everyone would lighten up."

"Maybe you're right." Ken smiled, making Calumon glad someone was willing to listen to him. "Calumon, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Calumon said with a confused nod. No one had really shown much interest in him since they had arrived in this world.

"You're not Jeri's partner, are you?" Ken asked the question as though he already knew the answer.

"Nope. That… was Leomon."

"What happened to him?"

"Some asshole came along and murdered him," Impmon said before Calumon could think of an answer. Impmon still didn't make eye contact with them, though, instead keeping his eyes trained on the floor.

"Impmon…" Jeri looked over at Impmon, concern in her eyes.

"It's the truth, Jeri, and I made sure there was no data left over to bring him back."

"I thought we were past this. I forgave you a long time ago."

"I know, but…" Impmon looked towards the digieggs at his side. "Leomon wasn't the only digimon whose data I loaded. All those lives, all that data… for what?"

"Forgiving yourself isn't always easy to do," Ken said softly. He placed a gentle hand on Imperialdramon. "It's amazing what some real friends will forgive, even if it was them you wronged the most. Still, none of that really matters if _you _can't come to terms with it."

"It sounds like you're talking from experience," Jeri said. Calumon wondered if Jeri had ever watched the TV show the other Tamers were always talking about. She seemed to have some insight into what Ken was talking about. Then again, she had also become good at reading people over the years. "What did you end up doing?"

Ken looked at Impmon as he replied, "I made what apologies I could, but that only does so much. In the end, getting back into the world and trying to do what's right helped me to move on. It doesn't erase the bad, but sometimes it helps offset it."

Calumon expected Impmon to have something else to say, but the little digimon just went back to staring at the ground in front of him. Jeri gave a grateful nod to Ken, who moved back to the front of the compartment to talk to Davis.

Calumon was about to do the same when he started to feel sick. He walked past Jeri and Impmon to the very back of the compartment, in the direction where the fight with the D-Reaper and Myotismon would be taking place. He had only felt a presence like this once before, while he was being held captive by Zhuqiaomon.

"What's wrong, Calumon?" Jeri asked.

Calumon could only reply, "Someone's in pain."

* * *

The Village of Beginnings

MagnaGarurumon regained his sense of vision to find the bright light had disintegrated all of the D-Reaper agents on the battlefield. Gallantmon had digivolved, now adorned with crimson and gold armor, as well five sets of wings. He stood in a slightly hunched over position, until turning his attention to ReaperMyotismon.

"Come now, out with it," ReaperMyotismon taunted. He slowly walked towards the knight. "First I'll let you have your little speech, and then I'll destroy you."

Based on the little he had learned about Takato in the last few hours, MagnaGarurumon expected a speech as well. Instead, the only sound that came from Gallantmon's dual voice was a loud snarl. The knight threw his right fist at ReaperMyotismon's head, connecting with enough force that it sent the evil digimon flying backward.

ReaperMyotismon tried to regain his composure, but Gallantmon continued his assault. The two digimon began to trade blows, and while ReaperMyotismon seemed have the advantage when it came to strength, Gallantmon was more than fast enough to dodge many of those attacks. Gallantmon's newfound strength was also nothing to write off.

MagnaGarurumon took advantage of the relatively empty battlefield, flying over to Takuya to make sure his friend was okay. Takuya had been able to pull himself out of the rubble, but hadn't gotten much farther than that due to his injured state.

"Are you okay?" MagnaGarurumon asked as he kneeled next to Takuya.

"What do you think?" Takuya replied coldly. MagnaGarurumon found it hard to be surprised by the response. They had just lost one of their own, something that might have been prevented if they had been able to form Susanoomon. In addition to his own guilt, Takuya likely blamed MagnaGarurumon for Ryo's death as well.

"Where do you think that came from?" MagnaGarurumon motioned to the fight going on. It was best to talk about something else for the time. Takuya would likely try to start an argument over their failed evolution later.

"I don't know." Takuya turned his attention to Sakuyamon and MegaGargomon, who were watching the battle not far from them. "Why haven't they tried to get back in the fight?"

"Let's go ask them." MagnaGarurumon gestured for Takuya to climb up on his shoulder, which he reluctantly did.

As the pair flew over to the two Tamers, ReaperMyotismon managed to land a solid hit on Gallantmon, sending the knight plummeting to the ground. Gallantmon began to pick himself up, growling even more intensely.

"I can't take this anymore. We have to go help him," Rika argued as MagnaGarurumon hovered closer to the two Tamers.

"I really don't think that's a good idea right now," Henry replied.

"Why is that?" Takuya asked. "What the hell is that form?"

"It's Gallantmon's Crimson Mode, but something's… off." MagnaGarurumon and Takuya both stared at MegaGargomon, in the hopes of getting clarification.

"Look at his eyes," Rika directed. Takuya, limited by human vision, was unlikely to see what she meant from this distance, but MagnaGarurumon did. Gallantmon's previously human eyes had been replaced by cold, almost reptilian ones. "He's gone feral."

"Feral?" Takuya asked.

"Guilmon's a Virus type and, by extension, so are all his higher forms," Henry explained. "He tends to get more volatile as the situation gets more strenuous. That's why I don't think we should step in. He might not be able to differentiate between friend and foe."

"I don't get it," Terriermon chimed in. "Gallantmon's never done this before. I thought Takato was supposed to balance these tendencies out."

"Normally, he would," Renamon explained. "In this scenario, however, I think Takato is just as angry as Guilmon, if not more so. He's feeding on Guilmon's ability rather than cancelling it."

MagnaGarurumon's mind immediately went back to Izzy's line of questioning from earlier. Was this what he meant by a human taking on the traits of their digimon partner?

"Takato…" Rika said so softly that MagnaGarurumon doubted the others heard it. For the first time since they had met, the girl seemed genuinely concerned.

"Enough of this!" ReaperMyotismon called out. He called on his scythe again, and brought the blade down hard on Gallantmon. The knight made no effort to dodge.

Instead, Gallantmon materialized a double-sided lance in one hand and a broadsword in the other. He brought the weapons together and blocked the scythe just above his head. Gallantmon then forced the blade upwards, giving himself just enough room to slip under it. Using both his weapons, he slashed at both of ReaperMyotismon's shoulders.

"You… little… bastard…" ReaperMyotismon breathed. Both of his arms fell limply to his sides. His wounds were showing signs of healing, but Gallantmon seemed intent on not giving them the opportunity. He continued to slash away until ReaperMyotismon fell to his knees.

Then, just as suddenly as the assault began, it ended. Gallantmon dismissed his swords and flew back a few meters.

"Did he change his mind?" Takuya asked. Almost in response to the question, Gallantmon began to build up a large amount of energy around the Digital Hazard sign on his chest.

"Does that answer your question?" MagnaGarurumon replied. "Everybody brace yourselves!"

"YUGGOTH BLASTER!"

Gallantmon released a massive, blue energy attack that consumed and deleted its target. When the dust settled, the only ones not looking on in awe were Takato and Guilmon, who lay on the ground where Gallantmon once stood. MagnaGarurumon was surprised the two were still conscious.

"I didn't know they could use that attack in that form," Terriermon said, breaking the silence.

"I don't think they did… either," Henry trailed off as he noticed something behind him. MagnaGarurumon followed MegaGargomon's sightline, realizing that Henry had gotten distracted by the presence of his own sister. Even with MegaGargomon's expressionless face, fear seemed to fill his eyes. "Why is she here?"

There was no need to ask how much of the fight Suzie had seen. Even from a distance, MagnaGarurumon could just make out the blank look in her eyes and the dried tears on her face. The girl had seen everything.

"This is just wrong," Takuya muttered. MagnaGarurumon turned his attention forward again, realizing Takuya was referring to the D-Reaper. Its body remained, as did the cords that had connected it to ReaperMyotismon. Then an all-to-familiar head materialized from one of the cords.

"You Digidestined and your little tricks," ReaperMyotismon said as though he were trying to surpress his anger. "You understand that you will all have to suffer for that."

"Go to your sister," Sakuyamon said to MegaGargomon. "I'll get Goggle-head." Both flew off in opposite directions.

"Koji, you're gonna have to set me down," Takuya instructed.

"Why?" MagnaGarurumon asked in response.

"We aren't going to win this battle. Best you can do is help the others so we don't lose anyone else." Takuya was angry, so there was no point in arguing. "Don't wait around! Go, now!"

MagnaGarurumon fell back to a safe distance, letting the Warrior of Flame off of his shoulder. Back on the battlefield, an arm had emerged from one of the cords near ReaperMyotismon's head. It fired a pillar of energy at Takato and Guilmon.

Luckily, Sakuyamon was fast enough to throw herself in between the two. She called up a barrier, absorbing the entirety of the blast. The effort, however, seemed to leave her weakened.

More body parts were emerging from the cords, and they were starting to reassemble. There was no stopping them at this point, but MagnaGarurumon figured he could slow down ReaperMyotismon's return. Once he was within range of his target, he brought all his weapons to bare and opened fire.

Lasers and missiles rained down on ReaperMyotismon, keeping him from continuing his attack on his previous target. The monster roared in rage, collecting himself enough to send a crimson blast towards MagnaGarurumon. The attack connected, knocking the Warrior of Light out of the air.

Between the impact and the searing pain from the blast, Koji was forced to give into his wounds and return to his human form. Unsure what to expect next, Koji stood back up to face his enemy. If he was going to die today as well, he was going to do it on his feet.

"You're all maggots, each and every one of you!" ReaperMyostismon yelled. His body had just about finished healing itself. His eyes darted around the battlefield, as though he were unsure about who to attack first. "Can you all just hold still and-"

His ranting was interrupted when two more fire attacks collided with him. WarGreymon and Phoenixmon settled down next to Sakuyamon. Behind the three Megas, Koji could see Tai and Sora making their way on to the field. The latter helped Takato to his feet while the former did his best to get Guilmon to stand up.

"Don't you get it yet?" WarGreymon asked while pointing an armored gauntlet at ReaperMyotismon. "We'll never stop fighting you as long as there's anything left to fight for."

"So be it," ReaperMyotismon resigned. The cords on his back disconnected from the D-Reaper body and the thing began to degrade. Koji was confused until he realized the side effects of this action. The battlefield around them began to shift and break apart, opening a number of fissures. One opened underneath Koji's feet and he barely managed to grab hold of ledge to keep himself from falling into it.

Koji could only see what happened next through the corner of his eye. The best he could tell, Sakuyamon, WarGreymon, and Phoenixmon tried to stop ReaperMyotismon from leaving, resulting in them being on the receiving end of one of his "Crimson Storm" attacks. The three fell out of sight, and ReaperMyotismon flew over Koji's head towards the village's center.

Guilt filled Koji's mind. He wasn't positive that Susanoomon would have made much of a difference, but whatever resulted from forming the ancient digimon would have been preferable to this scenario. He felt as though he deserved this fate as his grip finally gave way.

"Hang in there, kid. I got you," a voice called out at as a hand grabbed Koji's arm just in time. Koji looked up, seeing that the hand belonged to Matt. The older Digidestined briefly turned his attention to someone behind him. "Bro, I could use an extra pair of hands."

T.K. appeared a split second later and was able to get a hold of Koji's other hand. "What's the matter, Matt?" he teased. "Is he too heavy for you?"

"No, I just figured it was someone else's turn to keep you clumsy kids from falling to your deaths."

"Thanks," Koji said as the two brothers pulled him up.

"What are friends for?" Matt's response took Koji aback a bit. They hardly knew each other, and Koji hadn't exactly been personable when they first met. Fittingly, it reminded him of his first meetings with his own friends.

As the three boys and their digimon looked back at the Village of Beginnings, MegaGargomon landed nearby. He set down Takuya, Suzie, and Lopmon before splitting into his two component parts.

"How bad is it?" Matt asked.

"We lost track of Takato, Rika, Tai, and Sora. I have no idea where they are," Henry answered. "As for the others… I'm thinking divine intervention is their only chance."

All eyes returned to the village again. All of their best fighters had been in the field. Anyone who hadn't evacuated was going to get slaughtered.

* * *

ReaperMyotismon crashed through the tree at the center of the Village of Beginnings. Lucemon had to be there. He could sense him, or at least he had prior to beginning his fight with the Digidestined. As Myotismon continued to scan the structure, the truth dawned on him: His objective was gone.

"How?" he breathed. Myotismon's thoughts drifted to a particular feline, who he knew was responsible for this ploy. He blasted his way out of the tree, flying higher into the air to get the lay of the land.

Myotismon couldn't find a trace of the digimon or digiegg he was looking for. What he did see was a single Trailmon parked on the perimeter of the village. He could sense the multitude of digieggs and infant digimon inside. Staring back at him were seven humans and three digimon, all obviously at a loss about what to do about his presence.

They would be the ones to suffer his wrath for the humiliation he was currently enduring. ReaperMyotismon called on his scythe and prepared to unleash his attack upon the remaining Digidestined.

The only problem was that something was physically stopping him from doing so. It wasn't a new opponent; he had already defeated the Digidestined's greatest warriors. What was stopping him was internal.

_That is not the objective_. The words pushed against his consciousness as they did when he first encountered the D-Reaper.

"That is the only objective," Myotismon said out loud.

_Negative. Lucemon is the objective. You dictated so yourself._

"But-"

_You are allowing emotion to cloud rational thought. If you were not, you would still be able to sense the target. It is not out of reach yet. We can still obtain the egg._

Taking a second, he realized the D-Reaper was correct. The egg was in transit, but catching it was still very possible. He flew off in its general direction, promising there would be no mercy for the Digidestined next time.

* * *

Elsewhere

The plan had gone more or less as Gatomon had instructed. She and Kari had waited with Lucemon's egg for Myotismon's arrival. The idea had been to use the egg's presence as beacon and ensure their enemy arrived at a location of their choosing. Then, when the others had him thoroughly distracted, the Digidestined of Light and her partner would take the egg and run.

Gatomon, now as Nefertimon, flew towards their destination. Kari was on her back, Lucemon securely held in one of her arms. She felt Kari shift, likely to open her D-Terminal to make sure they were on course. Nefertimon could also tell her partner was worried, given the state of the battle they had left behind.

"They'll be alright, Kari," Nefertimon assured her. They both knew that wasn't true. One of the Tamers had fallen. In fact, Gallantmon's outburst was the distraction they had used to run.

"Poor Takato," Kari said sadly. "I can't imagine pain he must have been feeling in order to do that." Nefertimon could relate to how the Tamer had felt. Myotismon had put her in Takato's position when he killed Wizardmon, and had tried to do so again many times after. Still, it was not just pain Nefertimon had sensed from the Tamer. It was rage, the kind of rage that made SkullGreymon look like an angry house pet.

"How much further?" Nefertimon asked.

"I can't say exactly," Kari answered. She strained to read the map. "But Ophanimon's castle can't be much further." The Legendary Warriors had insisted it was the safest place within a reasonable distance. Knowing their enemies, they would be more than willing to test that assertion.


	7. Stumbling in the Dark

Universe 450: The Digital World- (What's Left of) The Village of Beginnings

Koji did his best to stand upright. He was pretty sure nothing was broken and that he had no other serious injuries, but that didn't mean his entire body wasn't sore. It was one of the reasons they had not immediately torn after ReaperMyotismon. None of them were ready for another fight yet.

At the moment, they were waiting for Izzy to respond to a message they had sent him. Matt and Henry paced back and forth, both probably worrying about the other reason they had decided to remain where they were. Their friends were missing, lost somewhere in the rubble caused by ReaperMyotismon's departure. They were all torn between continuing the mission and looking for those that were missing.

Koji looked towards Takuya, who had only made eye contact with him once since the battle ended. The stare Koji had received from Takuya in that moment had been cold and distant. He blamed Koji for what had happened, but was not likely to say it out loud yet. Takuya knew this wasn't the time or place to start a fight. Now, he simply ignored Koji's presence.

The beeping of T.K.'s D-Terminal caught everyone's attention. Soon, six humans and four digimon were gathered around the device, waiting to find out the status of the others.

"Izzy says that everyone's okay," T.K. summarized. He didn't take his eyes off the screen. "They hadn't finished loading the Trailmon when Myotismon showed up, but the second he realized Lucemon wasn't here…" T.K. paused, disturbed by what he read next. "He flew off in the same direction as Kari."

"So, what's our next step?" Koji asked. He looked to Matt and Henry. Neither seemed sure, and it didn't help that the people the two looked to for leadership were missing.

"We go after him. Kari can't beat that monster on her own."

"Slow down, Little Brother," Matt said calmly. He placed a hand on T.K.'s shoulder. "We still have people missing, and I think we should focus on finding them first."

"Then I'll go after her myself!" T.K. backed up nervously. It looked to Koji like he had not meant to shout like that, but Kari was obviously important to him.

"Not a good idea. You do that and you'll both be out there on your own. Be patient and trust me. Once Tai finds out his sister is missing, he'll be the first to volunteer to go with you to find her."

Koji admired Matt's optimism, especially given the situation. They had no idea what kind of condition Tai and the others were in, but spoke of them being okay as a matter-of-fact. His words also managed to calm his brother down.

"T.K., send a reply to Izzy," Henry instructed. "Tell him we have friends unaccounted for and we're going to stay and look for them. He and the others shouldn't waste any time getting that train to the Flame Terminal."

"Anything else?" T.K. asked while typing.

"Actually, tell him they can wait just a little bit longer before leaving. Suzie is coming their way."

"But, Henry-" Suzie protested. She seemed more sad than angry with her brother.

"You can't stay here, Suzie. It's… It's not safe." There was also the very real possibility that their friends weren't in as good a condition as they hoped. Henry likely didn't want his Suzie present under those circumstances.

"Then come with me." Suzie was obviously fighting back more tears. The eager little girl that had introduced herself earlier was missing, replaced by one who was scared for the people she cared about most.

"You know I would if I could," Henry replied. He kneeled down in front of Suzie and hugged her tightly. He seemed to choke a bit as he continued, "But I have to find Takato and Rika. I have to know they're okay."

"I'll walk her back," Takuya volunteered. "I doubt I can be much good to you guys in my condition anyway." He led the youngest Tamer away, not looking back.

"You should go with them," Matt said to Koji. "You're not much better off than he is."

"No, I'm staying," Koji replied. This mess started because of a problem he caused, and he was ready to fix it.

* * *

Nearby

Upon opening his eyes, Takato started to realize all the things he didn't know. He had no idea where he was, other than a place so dark he couldn't see anything in front of him. He was having trouble recalling how he came to be in his current location. Everything after Ryo's death was a bit of a blur, to the point where he was questioning whether or not anything that had occurred that day had been real. Of course, there was one thing he did know: There was a red dinosaur standing over him.

"Hey, boy," Takato managed to say. He had no serious injuries, but he still felt weak. "Are you okay?"

"Better now that you're awake," Guilmon replied. "I was worried you weren't going to wake up."

"You can't get rid of me that easily." Takato slowly sat up, gently bumping heads with Guilmon as in the process. In typical Guilmon fashion, he had been standing to close for his own good. Takato then reached into his backpack, digging through notebooks and pencils until he got hold of a small flashlight he liked to carry around. This wasn't the first dark place he and his friends had gotten lost in, so he had prepared for this.

Takato turned the flashlight on, revealing that the two of them were in a cave of some kind. He looked to Guilmon, who just seemed happy to see his partner. Takato then tried to stand up, deciding they shouldn't stay in one place for long. Realizing Takato was having trouble, Guilmon immediately positioned himself under Takato's left arm to help him walk.

"Thanks," Takato said.

"No problem," Guilmon replied. "You've gotten heavier, Takatomon. You should try eating less."

"I'll keep that in mind." Guilmon was likely trying to keep him from dwelling on what happened in the previous battle. Despite his child-like demeanor, the digimon would occasionally have moments of insight and wisdom.

Takato couldn't help but dwell, however, as his memories were starting to return to him. He had gone feral at the sight of ReaperMyotismon executing his friend. The only reason Takato had been able to avoid hurting his friends was that they had been smart enough to stay away from him. Then, when his rage had subsided and the others came to his rescue, ReaperMyotismon had struck another blow that fractured the battlefield. Takato concluded that he had fallen into one of the fissures, which seemed to have sealed itself behind him.

Then, just as he thought his guilt couldn't get any greater, they stumbled across Tai, Sora, Agumon, and Biyomon. None of them were conscious, and Takato's mind went to the worst possible scenario.

"This can't be happening," Takato said to himself. He led Guilmon over to Tai, and then began to shake the Digidestined of Courage awake. "Tai, can you hear me? You have to wake up."

"Would you stop shaking me? My head's already spinning," Tai responded, much to Takato's relief. He backed up so that Tai had room to stand. As he did, the other three started to come around.

"Did anyone get the number of that semi-truck?" Agumon asked wearily.

"Oh I got it," Biyomon replied, "and there will be restitution when we find him."

"Don't bother," Sora chimed in. "Jerks like that never have insurance, anyway."

Tai offered a hand to Sora to help her to her feet, which she accepted. Takato couldn't help but notice their hands linger a bit once they were both upright. Takato's mind instinctively went back to the TV show. While Tai and Sora's relationship had never been a focal point of the series, there had always been small indications that there were some strong feelings between the two. Of course, the show's epilogue had said Sora ended up marrying Matt, so it was possible Takato was just projecting.

Takato's mind then snapped back to reality, remembering the first person who had come to his aid. "Rika and Renamon," he almost yelled. "Did either of you see what happened to them?"

"We're alright," Renamon's voice came from the darkness. Takato turned his flashlight until he saw the kitsune. Rika stepped out from her shadow, prompting a sigh of relief from Takato. He had never been so happy to see the redhead in his entire life. That was, until Rika started marching towards him angrily.

"You idiot!" Rika yelled as she punched him in the shoulder. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," Takato replied. He couldn't blame her for being mad at him. He looked away from her as he continued speaking. "You're right, I screwed up. I got emotional and lost control, and I put everyone else in danger."

"That's not what I was getting at." Rika was starting to lower her voice, but still sounded frustrated. "I just meant-"

"It doesn't matter what you meant. It's the truth." Takato kept his voice calm and low. He didn't think he could get angry again if he wanted to. "I let you all down when you needed me most. Maybe Ryo would still be here if I wasn't here, period."

"Don't say things like that!" Rika's yelling surprised her just as much as everyone else. Takato looked back towards her, seeing that her expression had changed to one he had only seen a couple times before. Her eyes were wide, almost nervous, and her lips were parted slightly. She made this face when she felt vulnerable and couldn't hide it as well as she usually did.

"Rika…" Somehow, on the list of things Takato regretted about the day so far, Rika had managed to put upsetting her on top.

"No, shut up and listen." Rika did her best to stay calm and collected as she spoke. "If you want to feel guilty about what happened, that's your business, but don't _ever_ use us as an excuse to run off and get yourself killed. The others still need you and…" She stopped a beat before admitting something he never thought he would hear from her. "…and so do I."

"I'm sorry," Takato said as he tried to smile. Part of him wanted to physically reach out to Rika, to let her know he wasn't going anywhere. Two thoughts came to his mind that stopped him. First, that Rika might hit him again if he attempted any kind of physical affection. Secondly, after getting reacquainted with monster he was capable of being, he wasn't sure that she and the others wouldn't be better off without him.

"Don't be sorry. Just… don't let it happen again." Rika finally turned away from him and returned to Renamon's side.

"We should probably focus on trying to find a way out of here," Tai said after a few seconds. He looked around the room, and at the caved in sealing above them. "WarGreymon could probably tunnel his way out of here."

"Yeah, maybe _after_ he's had some time to get his strength back," Agumon said.

"So the "Waiting Game" it is, then."

* * *

Trailmon Passenger Car- En Route to Flame Terminal

Izzy typed slowly and deliberately, doing his best to not get distracted by the story that had been relayed to the group. Takuya had told them everything about the battle with ReaperMyotismon, and most of them were in shock over the loss of one of their own. While Izzy had not really known Ryo all that well, it still ate away at him. He had to actively keep himself from worrying about losing one of his friends to the coming battles.

The car itself was felt empty due to the way they were all spread out. Koichi and J.P. were absent, having volunteered to stay behind and help look for Tai and the others. Tentomon sat by Izzy's side, finally resting as he had been instructed to. Across the aisle from Izzy, Suzi was holding her partner tightly. Neither had spoken since their return, and Izzy couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible. He had let the youngest Tamer run off to be witness to her friend's death.

Upon boarding the train, Takuya had sat himself two rows behind Izzy, with his head resting against the window. Based on the lack of sound from his direction, Izzy could assume that Takuya hadn't moved since. Zoe and Tommy sat across from Takuya, whispering to each other. About what, Izzy couldn't hear well enough to tell.

Less subtle in their conversation were Kazu and Kenta, who sat a couple rows in front of Suzie. From what Izzy could tell, they had been particularly attached to Ryo and were having trouble coping.

"She's sad," MarineAngemon sighed, likely referring to Suzie.

"I know, but I don't know how we can help her," Kenta grimly.

"We shouldn't even bother at this point," Kazu said obnoxiously. He was likely trying to cover up his own fear.

"What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is this could be it for us. If Ryo couldn't stop these guys, who can?"

"What about Takato and the others?"

"You heard what Takuya said. There's a good chance Chumley and the Ice Queen didn't make it either, and there's no way Henry's going to be able to keep it together without them."

"I think you guys have said enough," Izzy said loudly. He didn't want them upsetting Suzie any more than she already was. Kazu and Kenta both looked his way, and seemed to get the message. Izzy wished there was more he could do, but consoling the younger Digidestined had never been his specialty. When T.K. or Kari had gotten upset back in the day, it was usually Tai, Matt, or Sora who helped them to feel better.

Izzy went back to his work. With their team spread so thin and so many variables up in the air, he had decided it best to take a break from coming up with a strategy to fight ReaperMyotismon. Instead, he was focusing his energy on trying to figure out a way to get home once they were able to win. Izzy had some theories about how to open another portal, but wanted to collect more data on the reality tears before testing any of them.

Izzy would find his attention being drawn from his work when Tommy walked by. The boy stopped himself in front of Suzie before softly asking, "Are you okay?"

At first, Suzie seemed surprised by the boy's question. She said nothing, instead looking back down at Lopmon before shaking her head sadly.

"Yeah, I guess that was a stupid question," Tommy continued. "If something like that happened to Takuya or one of the others, I don't know that I'd be able to keep going."

"You wanna know the worst part?" Suzie asked. "We lose a friend we've known for years, and my brother uses it as an excuse to push me away."

"Suzie…" Lopmon said while looking up at her Tamer. "Henry's just trying to look after you."

"Well, he's doing a lousy job. After all this time, he still thinks that I don't belong here."

"There's no way he could think that," Tommy said as he sat down next to Suzie. "I caught the tail end of your fight with Cerberumon, and anyone who saw what I saw would know you and Lopmon can handle yourselves."

"Then why treat me like this?"

"Because older brothers are weird like that. My brother, Yutaka, is the exact opposite. He loves to tell me how I need to grow and do things for myself."

"Sounds like he trusted you to stand on your own two feet."

"I guess, but it took me a while to understand that." Tommy scratched the back of his head. "I think what I'm trying to say is to not be so hard on Henry. Right or wrong, he's trying to help you in his own way."

"Thank you," Lopmon said politely to Tommy. Suzie said nothing, but seemed less down. Izzy might have thanked Tommy too, if not for the screaming that followed.

"For the love of God, Takuya, answer me!"

Everyone turned their attention to the back of the car to see Zoe standing over Takuya. Realizing that they had everyone's attention, the boy turned to acknowledge the Warrior of Wind.

"What do you want, Zoe?" Takuya asked half-heartedly.

"'What do I want'?" Zoe shot back. She had already been angry, and Takuya's tone hadn't helped. "I want you to stop moping around and fix the mess you caused."

"What mess?" Takuya stood up to face Zoe. He was starting to raise his voice as well.

"Don't play dumb with me. You and Koji needed to hash out whatever problem you two have been having, and you ran away."

"As far as I'm concerned, it's a one-sided problem. Koji's the one who dropped the ball, so why don't you go yell at him?"

"Because you haven't even tried to ask what's bothering him."

"I did so."

"When? During your little stunt back in Shibuya?" Zoe lowered her voice and tried to speak softly. "Did you really think ganging up on Koji like that was the way to get him to talk to you? He's your best friend, Takuya. You should know him better than that."

Takuya waited a beat before replying, "He's _not_ my best friend."

"You stubborn asshole!" Zoe raised her hand and slapped Takuya across the face. Izzy looked around the car, finding that the action had shocked everyone but Tommy.

"Are you done?" Takuya asked. He placed his hand on the red mark Zoe had left behind.

"Yeah, I'm done with you," Zoe resigned. She returned to her original seat, refusing to look back at Takuya. "I don't know why I even bothered in the first place."

"Well, this journey has made everyone so high-strung," Tentomon said after everyone had turned their attention away from the two Legendary Warriors. "It's no wonder you humans set so many of your movies on trains."

Izzy sighed, "Never change, Tentomon."

* * *

The Village of Beginnings

The search for Tai's group was focused in a single area, as they all had last been seen in this general vicinity. The fissures had shifted dramatically during ReaperMyotismon's departure, and the consensus and hope was that they had fallen underground and were simply trapped there.

Koji worked nearby Loweemon and Beetlemon, helping to move the rubble as they carefully broke the larger pieces apart. He had opted not to spirit evolve in order to conserve his energy. Of course, this coupled with his already weakened state put Koji at a disadvantage when it came to physical labor. He stumbled a bit and nearly fell over while trying to move a sizable rock.

"Are you okay there, man?" Beetlemon asked. He reached down and easily pulled the rock from Koji's hands.

"I'm fine," Koji replied sternly. He didn't want to be coddled.

"No, you're not," Loweemon stated. "I don't know why you insisted on being here."

"I'm here because our friends are in trouble and I can help."

"Not like this you can't." Loweemon folded his arms and sighed. "Look Koji, we're not making that much progress right now as it is. Go take a break for now."

"If that doesn't give you déjà vu, I don't know what will," a chipper voice called out before Koji continue arguing with his twin. The three Legendary Warriors turned to see T.K. and Patamon.

"Patamon…" T.K. said, trying not to laugh.

"Come on, you were thinking it too. On one hand, we have the lone wolf who's too cool to show any weakness. On the other, his brother who knows how untrue that is."

"I'm guessing you've got experience with this," Loweemon said to the duo. "Are there any tips you want to share?"

"We can compare notes later," T.K. replied before turning to address Koji. "Something tells me we're gonna need you when the fighting starts again. Until then, I think you should do what your brother says."

"Fine," Koji resigned. There was no point in arguing with the both of them. He walked away as his brother and T.K. started to strike a conversation.

Koji found a sizable chunk of rubble and leaned against it. He thought about what he was going to say to Takuya the next time he saw him, but nothing came to mind. Something was blocking their ability to merge, and likely wouldn't have anything constructive to say to his friend until he figured out what it was.

Koji's train of thought was interrupted when Henry came into view. "Sorry," the Tamer said. "I didn't think anyone was back here." He turned to walk away.

"That's no reason to leave, Henry," Terriermon said from his partner's shoulder. "Maybe Koji's looking for a brooding buddy."

Henry reluctantly sat down, looking off into the distance. His hands were covered in cuts and dirt. Matt had likely given Henry a speech similar to the one Koji had received from Koichi and T.K., and was likely equally annoyed about having to take a break.

"Are you doing okay?" Koji asked. He couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Well, let's review," Henry began. He didn't turn to face Koji. "Two of my best friends are missing and I have no idea what condition they're in. There's also the fact that the last time I spoke to Ryo, I was petty and insecure. I'm going to have to live with that for the rest of my life."

"In other words, you're doing just fine," Terriermon joked, to which Henry seemed to role his eyes. The two seemed an unlikely pair to Koji. One usually calm and serious while the other had a tendency to be obnoxious and never take things seriously. Yet still, they had worked together flawlessly during the last fight. A light turned on in Koji's head, having realized that Henry and Terriermon might be able to help with his particular problem.

"Henry, how does biomerging work?" Koji asked instinctively.

"You mean, besides the obvious?" Terriermon asked back.

"Terriermon…" Henry warned.

"What? I just want to make sure we're on the same page."

"A couple days ago, I would have thought of it like spirit evolving, but now…" Koji tried to explain. Like Takuya earlier, he was having trouble putting these concepts into words. "I've never had any trouble becoming Lobomon or any other form I take on my own, but I wasn't able to merge with Takuya earlier. I guess I'm just trying to figure out why."

Henry finally turned to face Koji. "The first time we biomerged, it was because we wanted to fight together to protect our friends."

"Don't forget how we wanted to kick Sovereign ass," Terriermon added. Henry ignored him.

"As to why it continues to work, I'm sure there are a number of factors. In the end, though, I think it comes down to trust. I would trust Terriermon with my life, even if I question why half the time."

"It's because I'm your bestest buddy in the whole, wide world."

"Which brings us to two questions I have for you, Koji. Firstly, do you trust Takuya?"

Koji considered the question. He thought back to the first time he and his friends had traveled to the Digital World. They had all argued at one point or another, but he remembered himself and Takuya in particular being at each other's throats. In the beginning, the pair couldn't agree on anything, but that changed as time went on. It had been Takuya who helped Koji save his twin from Cherubimon's control. Takuya had fought by his side to defeat said tyrant. Together, they had battled Lucemon and his Royal Knights.

"Yes, I trust him," Koji stated. There was no other answer to the question.

"Okay," Henry continued. "Do you think he trusts you?"

This question was not as easy to answer, and not only because Takuya wasn't present to answer it himself. Koji hadn't given Takuya many reasons to trust him lately. If he didn't, Koji could hardly blame him, and he was used to that treatment. His own father hadn't trusted him with the knowledge that he had a twin brother. Back when Koichi had thought he was just a data ghost, he had kept it a secret from him. Koji's entire life was full of people who didn't seem to trust him.

"Moumantai, Koji," Terriermon said. Somehow, he could tell Koji was struggling with the question. "I'm sure you'll get a chance to…" Terriermon's ears shot, and he looked off into the distance. "…ask him yourself."

"What's wrong?" Henry asked

"I don't want to alarm anyone, but there's _a lot_ of digimon coming this way."

* * *

En Route to Ophanimon's Castle

Nefertimon had been focused solely on getting to her destination, so she almost took no notice of the energy building up in her flight path. She stopped suddenly and was able to avoid crashing through the portal that was forming. From it, emerged an all-too-familiar face.

"Let me guess," ReaperMyotismon said mockingly. "You forgot I had this ability."

"Actually, I'm more surprised Takato and Guilmon didn't tear your head off," Nefertimon replied, trying to sound confident. She knew there was no way she could take him in a one-on-one fight. Her outburst back on File Island was the result of emotions and instinct.

"Oh, yes, the Royal Knight. He made such a valiant effort in trying to destroy me, I was disappointed when I had to kill him."

"You're lying!" Kari yelled. Nefertimon knew there was a chance Kari was right. Myotismon enjoyed eating away at his enemies' morale.

"Am I? I can assure I made sure the knight, your brother, and a few of your other friends felt my wrath before I left in search of you two." ReaperMyotismon floated in place, likely ready to move the second they tried to outfly him. "Still, I am impressed by this strategy you chose to use against me. Sacrificing your friends in effort to deny your enemy an advantage is quite ruthless. I guess you did learn something from me, kitten.

"I am nothing like you!" Nefertimon roared.

"Let's strike a deal. You surrender Lucemon to me without a fight, and I will allow you to become my servant once again."

"You can pry this egg from my cold, dead claws."

"Very well." ReaperMyotismon called on a storm of crimson shards and released them on his two targets. Nefertimon did her best to dodge, but a single shard hit one of her wings, sending her plummeting to the ground below.


	8. Falldown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to SLIGHTLY change gears with this chapter. I've always seen this story as less of an ongoing saga and more like a movie script, kind of in the vain of The Avengers or one of the Arrowverse crossovers (Crisis on Three Digital Worlds was the working title for a bit). While I don't feel like my goals for this fic have changed overall, I did want to do something episodic with this chapter. With that said, this is not a standalone chapter and is still directly related to the main plot. It just focuses on the development of a single character.

Universe 450: The Digital World- A Particularly Nasty Swamp

"Yuck!" Kari called out as the two of them trudged through murky water.

Gatomon had done her best to control their descent after they were knocked out of the sky. With any luck, they had changed course just enough that Myotismon and the D-Reaper had lost track of them. Gatomon knew they hadn't truly escaped and that their enemies were still looking for them, but she hoped they could bide their time long enough to come up with a new plan.

"Keep your voice low," Gatomon said softly. "We don't want them to hear us."

"Won't they be able to just sense us again?" Kari asked. She still held Lucemon's digiegg tightly in her arms.

"I don't think so. This isn't a normal fog. It's excess data, and it will skew their ability to follow us." Of course, that also meant that Gatomon would not be able to sense anything either. Between that and the swamp's rancid smell, they would be forced to rely solely on their eyes and ears.

The two managed to pull themselves out of the water and onto somewhat solid ground. Gatomon tore towards a nearby tree and climbed it to get a better view of the area. It didn't help much, as visibility was still low. She dropped out of the tree and continued walking in the same direction they had been traveling in.

"Could you slow down a bit?" Kari called after her. "I don't want us to get separated."

"No, Kari, I can't," Gatomon replied. "_You_ need to pick up the pace before Myotismon catches up with us."

"I don't understand what's wrong with you lately. Myotismon has come back before and you've never let it get under your skin like this."

"Now's not the time."

"Then when is the time?" Kari stopped in her tracks, which forced Gatomon to stop as well. "Gatomon, let me help you." Kari was not going to drop this. She could tell her partner was hurting and it was in her nature to reach out.

Gatomon sighed. "Do you remember the day we first met?"

"How could I forget?" A smile appeared on Kari's face. "You followed me home, pretending to be an ordinary cat. Of course, I didn't buy it for a second."

"I was going to kill you." The smile on Kari's face went away as Gatomon held up her right paw. Gatomon recalled stalking up behind her current partner all those years ago. She had only stopped when Kari turned around and tried to reach out to her in an attempt to befriend her. Looking into the girl's innocent, brown eyes, she had been unable to follow through with her original mission. "I planned on cutting you open and leaving you to bleed to death in your apartment. All because I knew that was what Myotismon would want me to do."

"I always figured as much, but you didn't do it in the end."

"That's not the point." Gatomon turned away from her partner, knowing she would not be able to look her in the eye after what she admitted next. "The point is that was my first instinct, to do what he taught me to do. Think about it. Do you really think I would have made a decision like that if I hadn't killed for him before?"

Kari paused a couple seconds before softly asking, "How many?"

"Too many. At first, I told myself that what I was doing was a mercy killing. If I refused, Myotismon would kill them in the most sadistic way he could think of, and then torture me for disobeying. As time went on, however, it became easier."

Kari stayed silent. Gatomon wondered if it was the shock of what she just heard or if she was struggling to find a way to make her feel better. Knowing Kari, it was both.

"You asked why I'm letting him get under my skin," Gatomon continued. "I'm not. I just finally realized that he's always been there. No matter how far I try to run from it, I can't escape the fact that I am perpetually linked to that monster."

"Maybe, but you're linked to other people too," Kari said calmly. Gatomon finally turned to look Kari in the eye again. The Digidestined of Light showed not even the slightest sign of doubt. "As long as they're all still around, you'll never be alone."

"Yeah, well maybe I should be on my own."

"Do you really believe that?"

"I don't know." Gatomon had been all alone at the beginning of her life, and had never been more miserable. She eventually found the family and sense of belonging she always wanted, but she always feared she could lose it just as quickly. "I just want what's best for you and the others."

"And we all want the same thing for you. T.K. and Patamon, Tai and Agumon, the rest of our friends, the Tamers, the Legendary Warriors…" Kari walked over to Gatomon as she spoke and knelt down in front of her. "We're all here for you. You're not responsible for the situation we're in, and none of us would be better off if you weren't here."

Gatomon couldn't find the words to reply. She already knew all the things Kari was saying were true, but some doubts still remained. Right now, her and Kari were cut off from the others and couldn't stop Myotismon as they were.

The sound of heavy footsteps on muddy grass snapped Gatomon out of her thoughts. She immediately grabbed Kari by the arm and pulled her behind a sizable tree. She didn't have to peer around it to know ReaperMyotismon had emerged from the fog.

"Here, kitty," he taunted.

Neither Gatomon nor Kari dared to make any sudden movements. The only parts of her body that Gatomon moved were her eyes, trying to find an escape route not within ReaperMyotismon's sightline.

"You know my offer from before still stands," ReaperMyotismon said. "Hell, I'll even let you keep your human partner as a pet."

Gatomon looked to Kari, who rolled her eyes at the offer. Myotismon had always been better at deceit than that.

"If you don't surrender, however, I can't be held responsible for what follows," he continued. "You'll watch her die a slow and painful death before I ever lay a finger on you."

The last threat was not a bluff. Myotismon would enjoy every second of torturing them. The only thing that kept Gatomon from considering surrender was the knowledge that it would be their fate either way.

"What's the matter, Gatomon?" ReaperMyotismon asked. "Don't you want to play my game? Very well, then, I guess I'll have to talk to Kari instead. We'll talk about how I killed all the people closest to her."

Gatomon felt Kari shiver. She turned to her human partner and placed a gentle paw her. If Kari allowed herself to be rattled now, they were through.

"Where should I start?" ReaperMyotismon sounded particularly pleased with himself. "I'd like to tell you how terrified they were as they begged for their lives, but I know you're too smart for that. Instead, I'm going to tell you the truth. Your brother fought to end, too brave for his own good. As much as I wanted to savor the death of the leader of the Digidestined, I decided to grant him a warrior's death out of respect. T.K., on the other hand, I took my time with. Still, even as I pulled his limbs off one-by-one, he never gave up hope. He kept insisting you would find a way to beat me. Did you find a way to beat me, Kari?"

Kari sank to the ground. Whether or not she believed what was being said to her, Gatomon couldn't tell. The fact was that she was likely imagining what was being described to her, and that was enough. "None of it's true. It can't be," Kari said. She spoke quietly, but not quietly enough.

"We'll see about that."

The tree Kari and Gatomon were hiding behind was ripped from the ground, sending the two flying forwards. ReaperMyotismon tossed the tree aside and deliberately walked towards them. Flight was no longer an option, so they chose to stand their ground.

Gatomon digivolved into Angewomon and raised her bow and arrow at the hybrid monster. She released the arrow, letting it fly at ReaperMyotismon's face. It dissolved in the air before making contact.

"Right for the kill-shot," ReaperMyotismon said. "I'm proud of you, my dear."

"Go to hell!" Angewomon snapped.

"No, never again."

ReaperMyotismon was on her before she could react. He grabbed Angewomon by the head and smashed her into the mud at his feet. He followed that up by kicking her to the side.

"Is that the best you got?" Angewomon asked weakly. Two attacks were all it had taken to leave her helpless.

"I should be asking you that," ReaperMyotismon said disappointedly. "I had heard you had reached the Mega level during my last absence, but you refuse to use it. Why is that?"

"You're not worth it," Angewomon lied. What he said was true, but her Mega form, Ophanimon, came with a dark side. Given her current state of mind, she worried she would not be able to control it.

"You're afraid, aren't you? It's a shame. I was hoping to see at least one dark digivolution before I had eliminated all of the Digidestined." ReaperMyotismon made his way over to Kari, grabbing her as she tried to flee. "Maybe I can coax one out of you two."

"Kari!" Angewomon screamed. She tried to stand up, but was still too weak to so.

"I'll be taking that." ReaperMyotismon separated Lucemon's egg from Kari's grasp. One of the cords on his back uncoiled and took hold of the digiegg and assimilated it into his form. ReaperMyotismon then lifted Kari into the air with his left hand and laughed softly. "I wonder if I'll have as much fun killing you as I did killing that traitor, Wizardmon."

Angewomon flashed back to the moment in question. She had helplessly watched as Myotismon struck down her oldest friend. Now her best friend was in his clutches and she could do nothing. In all her life, she had never considered herself a victim, but she realized others often became victims simply by knowing her. The doubt and the anger ate away at her. Then a voice in her mind called for it all to stop.

Kari's D3 lit up, but not with the usual pink associated with the Crest of Light. This light, if it could be called that, was a deep purple. The energy emitted from the device caused ReaperMyotismon to lose his grip on Kari and gradually gave Angewomon the strength she needed to stand. Then, before she knew it, she had digivolved.

* * *

Ophanimon stood with more resolve than ever, her mind repeating two familiar words: _Falldown Mode_. In this form, all her pain and anger faded away, replaced by her singular mission to destroy her enemy. Ophanimon scanned the swamp and found her prey.

"I guess what they say is true," ReaperMyotismon said. His voice sounded distant and muffled. "The brightest light does produce the sharpest shadow." Ophanimon did not react. ReaperMyotismon's words no longer interested her. The time and manner of his death were her only concerns.

Ophanimon called her powers, summoning a set of dark crystals in the palms of her hands. She released them, willing them towards ReaperMyotismon. They crashed into him, blasting him backwards and carving a swath of destruction through the swamp. The attack would not be enough to destroy her enemy, but that was no matter. Ophanimon had much more in store for him.

"Gatomon!" a low and distant voice called out. Ophanimon did not turn to face it. Whatever it was, it was not relevant to her current goal.

ReaperMyotismon returned to his feet, angry at what had just transpired. He yelled in Ophanimon's direction, but the words did not register. The demon then called forth his crimson scythe and charged in Ophanimon's direction, intent to kill covering his face.

Ophanimon revealed her own scythe, parrying ReaperMyotismon's blade as he attempted to bring it down upon her. He backed off slightly, and acted as though he were going to speak again. That was a mistake. He should have been focusing on the battle if he wished to survive. Ophanimon lifted her weapon again and plunged it into her enemy's chest. At the same time, she called forth her signature attack: _Flame Hellscythe_.

ReaperMyotismon fell to one knee, agony washing over his entire body as the flames burned him from the inside out. His powers of regeneration seemed to still be working, but they didn't prevent him from feeling the continuous hellfire. Both the attack and the healing factor continued to work against each other until Ophanimon removed her blade from his chest.

"Hell hath no fury…" ReaperMyotismon began to say. He was out of breath and weak, but something still seemed to amuse him. He looked around the swamp, which had been set ablaze by Ophanimon's last attack. Ophanimon ignored the heat and devastation, as it was of no consequence to what was to come next.

Ophanimon lowered her scythe so that the blade was below ReaperMyotismon's torso. She brought it up in single motion, slashing her target and sending him flying backwards. His regenerative abilities meant no single strike could finish him, but that was no matter. She would kill him eventually.

Then, just as Ophanimon stepped forward to continue, a mass of energy crackled to life around ReaperMyotismon. It surrounded the demon before vanishing with him. In the very recent past, Ophanimon would have been angry with this development. Now, she thought of it as just delaying the inevitable. There was nowhere Myotismon could go to escape her, and there was nothing that could hold her back from destroying him.

"Gatomon!" It was the same voice as before. This time, Ophanimon turned to face it. The voice belonged to human female, whose name escaped her. She focused on the human's eyes, as something about them seemed familiar. The human seemed distraught as she slowly moved in Ophanimon's direction. "Please…"

Ophanimon turned away without a reply. She couldn't fathom what the human could want from her, or how it could be more important than her mission. Ophanimon spread her wings, and would have flown off if not for a piercing pain in her back.

Ophanimon paused before reaching for the point of impact. Whatever it was, it had lodged itself into her armor. She pulled the object free and brought it round to examine it. The object was an arrow, made of the purest light she had ever seen.

The human had fired the arrow. She now stood a few yards away from Ophanimon, clutching a bow that glowed with the same light as the arrow. On her waist, a familiar looking device glowed with a pink light.

"I know it hurts, but being alone won't stop the pain," the human said, almost on the verge of tears. Her voice was coming in louder and clearer. "I know it seems impossible to overcome now, but I promise _we_ can beat it together."

Then the arrow burst in Ophanimon's hand, seemingly to no affect. Ophanimon found, however, that she was unable to move. She didn't get a chance to wonder how, as her senses were flooded with familiar images and sounds.

"_You saved me. I'm sorry,"_ a voice said.

"_For what?" _another said back.

"_Sorry I got you involved in this." _It took hearing the voice a second time for Ophanimon to realize it was her own. The image came into focus. She saw her past self and the human female, many years younger than she was now. The pair sat over a dying digimon.

_A dying friend, _a voice in her head reminded her.

"_Don't be sorry," _the dying friend said. _"I don't have any regrets. If I hadn't met you, my life would've had no meaning. I'm glad you and I became friends."_

"_That's forever,"_ Ophanimon's past self said as the image faded.

For a moment, Ophanimon remained alone in the darkness. It did not take her long to understand the meaning of the memory she had just been shown. At the beginning of her life she had been desperately seeking a purpose. She had been so desperate she became one of Myotismon's slaves. Then, something changed.

In an instant, the darkness faded. Her realization triggered the release of all the memories of the people she had just tried to leave behind. A chipper, winged digimon who never gave up. A yellow lizard who made bad jokes and ate too much. Nine other Rookie-level digimon and the various times they spent together. Eleven human children who embraced her as part of their family despite her past sins.

More humans and digimon came into focus. She didn't know them as well as the others, as they had only just met. Still, it seemed appropriate to call them her friends. Most notable among them was a kitsune who had tried to console her at a time when she needed it most.

None of these memories, however, provoked as large a response from Ophanimon as the final one. This was a memory of a young girl with gentle, brown eyes who reached out to a strange creature simply because she wanted to be friends.

Then, with another flash, Ophanimon was back in the burning swamp. Her Falldown Mode had fallen away, leaving her in her Mega form's normal state. She quickly pulled out her javelin and used the energy it emitted to suppress the hellfire that was consuming the area. With the immediate threat removed, Ophanimon walked over to the human that had just saved her and kneeled down.

"Kari…" Ophanimon said. She felt tears run down her face. So many thoughts and questions were running through her head. She couldn't help but wonder how ridiculous a crying Celestial looked.

"Don't worry, it's over now," Kari said while tears filled her own eyes. She placed a gentle hand on Ophanimon's face.

Ophanimon collapsed, the exhaustion finally catching up with her. She reverted back to Salamon as she fell into Kari's arms. Despite her small size, she still caused her human partner to fall backwards. "I got so lost," Salamon cried.

"It's okay, I found you."

The thoughts in Salamon's mind seemed to calm down, with only couple remaining. Part of her was filled with regret, but another was filled with relief. She remembered who she was, and was never going to run away from it ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In other dumb trivia, my original idea for this chapter was for it to be an homage to Empire Strikes Back. Kari and Gatomon did make it to Ophanimon's castle, and said Celestial would act as a "Yoda" figure to Gatomon. I dropped that idea because I felt like Kari didn't have a big enough role in that version of the story. Still, I ended up using a swamp setting "in memory" of the original concept.
> 
> Also, I chose to have Ophanimon be Gatomon's "true" Mega form, even though we've been shown that it's Magnadramon a couple of times in the anime. Around the time I wrote Ken's "multiverse theory speech" in chapter 3, I decided to allow myself a small list of ways in which this fic deviates from the canon, and this was on there. Plus, let's face it, Ophanimon is way cooler than Magnadramon anyway.


	9. Moving Forward

Universe 450: The Digital World- Inside the D-Reaper

"What do you mean 'no'?" Myotismon growled.

It had only taken a minor infusion of his own and the D-Reaper's energy to get Lucemon's egg to hatch. The reborn Demon Lord now sat in a meditative position in the D-Reaper's core. His current form closely resembled a human child, which somewhat irritated Myotismon. How any self-respecting digimon could consciously choose such a form was beyond him. Still, that was not the heart of the issue being discussed.

"I thought I was being perfectly clear," Lucemon said condescendingly. "I have no interest in being part of your little crusade."

"And why is that?" Myotismon asked, trying his best to remain calm. "The destruction of the Digidestined and the conquest of _all_ worlds are within our reach. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"I wanted what was best for the Digital World. As for the children, I bear no ill will against them."

"But they destroyed you!"

"They… opened my eyes." Lucemon turned his gaze away from Myotismon. Despite his human face, he betrayed no emotion. "I believed the best way to restore order to this was to destroy it and rebuild it as I saw fit. My subsequent defeat and purification helped open my eyes to where I went wrong. I underestimated how hard individuals would fight to retain their free will."

"So you would give up instead?" Myotismon could not believe what he was hearing. Had the legendary Demon Lord truly gone soft?

"I am merely at an impasse as to how I should proceed. In fact, I was meditating on the very subject before you interrupted me." Lucemon turned his attention back to Myotismon, who expected resentment on the fallen digimon's face. Instead, Lucemon simply seemed to pity him. "Still, I know one thing for certain. Helping you is not how I will proceed."

"We'll see about that." Myotismon turned to leave, but Lucemon was unwilling to let him have the final word.

"In the end, the children will defeat you. Just as they always have."

Myotismon continued with his departure. He had worked too hard to let Lucemon's taunting get the better of him. He had all the power he needed to wipe the Digidestined from the face of reality. All that remained to do was move forwards with his plan.

Myotismon examined his current domain. The D-Reaper had built this space so they would have a secure place to recover from the battles they had just taken part in. As they were separated from their enemies in this space, he was able move about it in his original form, albeit with one of the D-Reaper's cables attached to his back. Still, he was not safe from all annoyances, such as the ADR-01 that was waiting for him.

"Do you have anything you wish to add?" Myotismon asked. He was not trying to hide his irritation.

"Your emotions got the better of you again," the ADR-01 said. "You would have been defeated had we not intervened."

"I _must_ come up with a way to thank you later." Myotismon wondered if the D-Reaper understood what sarcasm was.

"Allowing personal matters to get in the way will interfere with the mission."

"You still don't understand." Myotismon approached the ADR-01 and looked it in the eyes. "This mission _is_ personal. Rational thought will not defeat our enemies. They have beaten us countless times despite logic."

"What would you have us do about that?"

"What do you _want _to do about it?" Myotismon stared into the ADR-01's emotionless face as it started to grasp what he was trying to say.

* * *

Underneath the Village of Beginnings

Takato stared at the ground in front of him, still not quite ready to talk to the others. To his right, his flashlight sat on top of his backpack, providing the group with a limited amount of light. Guilmon was resting to Takato's left, having refused to leave his Tamer's side. Aside from breathing, the digimon made no noise.

Across from Takato, Sora was trying to talk to Rika. Unsurprisingly to Takato, the conversation wasn't really going anywhere, as Rika was unlikely to open up to someone she hardly knew. She still had trouble talking to Takato and Henry at times. Takato was trying not to eavesdrop, but found it difficult due to their proximity.

"Are you sure?" Sora asked softly. "Talking about it might help."

"I'm fine," Rika replied plainly. "We weren't really that close."

"You were still part of the same team. You can't expect me to believe you feel nothing."

"That's kind of what I was hoping." Sora was wasting her time. Rika would only talk to someone when she was good and ready. It would most likely be Renamon when the two found an opportunity to separate themselves from the rest of the group.

"Well, tough, I don't."

"Listen, Sora," Rika said with a slight hint of irritation. She was doing her best to stay calm and not offend anyone. "I know you mean well, but you don't know me."

"You're right. I don't know you, but I used to know someone like you." This caught Takato's attention, causing him to risk looking up at the two. He had a feeling he knew where this conversation was going.

"Did you now?" Rika asked while rolling her eyes.

"Let's see now…" Sora looked Rika up and down, almost like she was trying to make a show of it. "Dad's not around much, too lost in his own crap to bother with the family he started. You don't get along with your mother. Not that she doesn't try, but the two of you really don't have much in common. You try to do right by your friends, but you still keep them at arm's length. You're afraid that if they get too close they'll find a reason to leave."

Sora remained confident after finishing her reading. Rika's silence served as a confirmation to her assertions, which seemed to even catch Renamon's attention.

"Packaging and temperament might be different, but the products the same," Biyomon chirped. "You're not as unique as you think you are."

"Biyomon, some tact wouldn't hurt," Sora said while gently nudging the bird with her elbow.

"So, what was this girl's name?" Rika finally asked. She looked directly at Sora, likely having already figured out the answer. Sora smiled and seemed like she was about to answer until both her and Rika's gazes fell on Takato. They had finally realized he was staring and didn't seem to appreciate it.

"You know, I'm suddenly feeling a lot better," Takato said uneasily. "Let's go for a little walk, Guilmon."

Guilmon reluctantly followed Takato down the tunnel until they met up with Tai and Agumon. True to character, Tai had not given up on finding a way back to the surface.

"Any luck?" Takato asked.

"Not yet," Tai answered. He then look at Takato and grinned. "What happened? Did they make you leave?"

"More like they implied that my presence was unwanted," Takato said, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, been there."

"Multiple times," Agumon added.

"Nobody asked you." Tai expression became more serious as he turned his attention back to Takato. "I saw most of the fight. What happened to Ryo wasn't your fault."

"It sure doesn't feel that way," Takato said as he leaned his back against the wall. He had the feeling a lot of people would be trying to convince him of that, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more he could have done.

"You only feel that way because the wound is still fresh." Tai leaned against the wall next to Takato. "Give it a little time and you'll pick yourself up stronger than ever."

"Any ideas on how I should start?"

"I think Rika said it best. Be there for her and the rest of your friends. They're gonna need their leader now more than ever."

"Sometimes I wonder if one of the others isn't more cut out for that job."

"Anyone who was ever halfway decent at the job has felt the same way. Being leader isn't about being strongest and, let me tell you, it's not about being the smartest." Tai looked back towards Sora and Rika. Takato could no longer hear what they were talking about, but he could make out Rika raising a nervous eyebrow to something Sora was saying. "It's about being the person they look to when things get tough."

"You make it sound easy." Takato couldn't help but give off a slight grin.

"I've had plenty of practice." Tai was likely trying to be modest, but, in typical Kamiya fashion, came off as a little cocky. "Trust me; it's a lot easier to believe in yourself when they believe in you."

Takato remained silent, replaying the previous battle in his head one more time. He knew he would always wish that fight had gone differently, but blaming himself wasn't going to change what was already past. Tai was right about how best to move forwards. The fact that any of his friends were still alive meant he still had something to fight for, so giving up was out of the question.

Still, there was the matter of how he had lost control of himself. Takato looked Guilmon, remembering the first time it had happened. He now knew that Megidramon was not an isolated incident, and he needed to figure out how to rein those tendencies in before he placed the others in danger again. Takato was about to ask Tai for advice on the matter before the sound of shifting rocks above interrupted him.

* * *

The Flame Terminal

Izzy followed Davis and Ken off of the train platform. The two younger Digidestined had caught a glimpse of a familiar form as it descended towards them and rushed to greet it. Up until that point, things had been relatively quiet. Not long after Izzy's group had arrived at the terminal, the digieggs and infant digimon had been sorted and sent off to a securer location. All that was left to do after that was wait for news from the others.

Izzy glanced back at the others on the platform. Takuya still sat apart from everyone else, having not said a word since relaying the events that occurred at the Village of Beginnings to Davis's group. Jeri had remained surprisingly calm during the story, having only spoken to ask about the current conditions of Takato, Rika, and Henry. Jeri had definitely been worried, but was likely putting on a brave face for Suzie. She had not left the youngest Tamer's side since. Ken had seemed particularly bothered by Ryo's passing, but had dodged explaining why when Davis took notice.

Izzy turned his attention forward just in time to see Nefertimon set down in front of them. Kari stepped off her back before she reverted back to Gatomon. While Izzy was relieved to see that both of them were okay, the original plan had called for them to remain at Ophanimon's castle with Lucemon's egg. Either the Celestial had asked them to leave, or something had gone wrong.

"Hey, guys," Kari said with a weak smile. Something had definitely gone wrong.

"Man, are we glad to see you," Davis replied immediately. "How did things go on your end?"

"Not great," Gatomon said, nervously rubbing her arm. "Myotismon caught up with us. We… lost the egg."

Izzy wasn't really sure what this meant for their chances, other than it would likely make things more difficult. They hadn't been able to figure out what Myotismon and the D-Reaper wanted the egg for, but they would likely soon find out now that they had it.

"It could have gone a lot worse," Kari said as she kneeled down and patted Gatomon on the back. The two would likely have a story to share once this was all over.

"That's the spirit," Davis said confidently. "We just gotta dust ourselves off and get back in the fight."

"I was recently told that being sad and angry doesn't solve anything," Ken added.

"And the person who said that was right. Once we get organized, Myotismon won't know what hit him."

Izzy tried to share their optimism, but was having trouble. He conceded that he would feel better once he knew Tai and Sora were safe. "Is there anything else we should know about?" he asked Kari and Gatomon.

"Actually, there is," Kari replied. "I got to test your theory about us using our digimons' powers."

"How'd you manage that?" Izzy asked eagerly. He started running through potential benefits of this ability in his head.

"I'm not really sure." Kari pressed her hand against her chin, taking a minute to gather her thoughts. "All I really remember is that Gatomon was in trouble and all I wanted was to reach out and save her."

"I'm assuming it worked."

"Not without a few hitches. It had the desired effect, but I felt really drained afterwards. I don't think it's something we're going to be able to rely on."

This news didn't surprise Izzy. Their bodies weren't used to that kind of strain. He was willing to bet that even the Tamers would struggle to maintain abilities of that nature. The Legendary Warriors seemed like their best bet at successfully utilizing them. Their bodies were the most accustomed to it.

"In other words, Ken won't be spinning any thread anytime soon," Wormmon summarized.

"Shame," Veemon added. "I was really hoping I could get Davis to head-butt something."

"Well, I'm sorry you guys are so disappointed," Davis said sarcastically before motioning to the rest of them. "Come on, we should see about starting to regroup."

"You're telling me that not everyone's here?" Kari asked. There was a little fear in her voice.

"Only about half of us are here," Ken stated. "Until you showed up, we were the only ones from our group."

"What about T.K. and my brother?"

"The battle didn't really go according to plan. Tai and-" Izzy began before being interrupted by his D-Terminal. He opened a message from T.K. saying that they had found Tai's group and that they had no major injuries.

* * *

The Village of Beginnings

Koji looked over the scene in front of him and felt a strange sense of satisfaction. The digimon Terriermon had sensed had not been hostile, instead being just the opposite. The group that had approached them was made of digimon Koji and his friends had helped during their travels through the Digital World. The new arrivals were eager to return the favor, and immediately started working to clear the debris.

"You guys know you had me worried sick, right?" Matt said as he helped Sora pull herself above ground.

"I'd promise it'll never happen again, but that would be a lie," Sora replied.

"Hey, aren't you gonna help me up?" Tai called up to Matt, his tone suggesting he was at least partially kidding. He hoisted himself up so he was eye level with his two friends.

"Tell you what, Tai," Matt said, matching Tai's tone. "You let me push you back into the hole, and _then _I'll help you up."

After help had arrived, it hadn't taken long to find Tai and the others. Even moving meticulously to ensure no further damage was caused, the extra hands had expedited every aspect of the process. Now, all eight of their missing friends were above ground.

Koji looked over towards Takato, Rika, Henry, and their digimon. The Tamers had stepped off to the side and were talking amongst themselves. Koji considered going over to check on them, but decided against it. He still felt that his inaction was partially responsible for costing Ryo his life, and didn't know what he would say. Besides that, he felt they deserved a minute alone. Koji could tell the three had a long history, one that forged a strong bond between them. It actually reminded him of how he and Takuya had been before this whole mess had started.

"I don't know how we're gonna thank you guys," Koji said. Standing next to him was a Gotsumon, the same Gotsumon who had helped him find his beast spirit so long ago.

"Hey, it was no sweat, Koji," Gotsumon replied. "In times like these, we gotta look after each other. Do you guys need anything else?"

"We're good. In fact, you guys better start clearing out of here. We're not gonna stay much longer either."

"Good luck, then." The rock digimon left to round up the group he had arrived with.

"I actually recognize a lot of these guys," Koichi said while scanning the crowd. Notably absent from it was Bokomon and Neemon, but was understandable given what Koji had been told a little earlier. They were supposedly acting as advisors to Seraphimon. "It's good to know we did more than just fight the last time we were here."

"Digimon never forget," T.K. stated. "You help them and you've earned their loyalty for life."

"Just don't forget that the opposite is true too," Patamon added, doing his best to sound serious and intimidating. "If you cross us, your life is forfeit."

"I'll keep that in mind," Koichi replied.

Beeping from T.K.'s D-Terminal ended the conversation, as he opened it to read the message he had just received. "Hey, Tai!" T.K. called out. "Izzy says everyone's getting back on Imperialdramon now. They should be back here soon."

"Everybody hear that?" Tai announced. "Break's almost over. Time to get back in the game."

Koji gave no verbal response. For better or worse, the entire team was about to be back together again.

* * *

From his place on Jeri's shoulder, Calumon looked over the damage that had been done to the Village of Beginnings. It and its surroundings were nowhere near as pretty as they had been when they left. The destruction reminded him of his own Digital World, and not in a good way.

Behind them, Imperialdramon split apart into Veemon and Wormmon and took their places next to Davis and Ken. The group didn't move from their landing spot at first, as if they were waiting for something. After about a minute of waiting around, the others came into view with Tai in the lead.

Without any hesitation, Davis and Ken followed Kari and Izzy over to Tai and the rest of their friends. Zoe and Tommy made their way over to Koji, Koichi, and J.P. with Takuya still hanging back a bit. Jeri didn't waste any time running over to Takato, Rika, and Henry once she made eye contact with them.

"Do you think she's happy to see you guys?" Calumon heard Terriermon joke as they got closer. If Calumon had to guess, he'd say the answer was "yes."

"I was worried we'd lost you guys too," Jeri said as she threw her arms around Takato. At the same time, Calumon moved himself from Jeri's shoulder to Takato's.

"I could sense the whole thing," Calumon said softly. "It made knots in my stomach, like moldy cheese."

"You guys worry too much," Rika said. "We're like a pair of cheap sunglasses. You couldn't lose us if you tried." Jeri then surprised the girl by hugging her too. Rika, looking like she wasn't sure what to do, awkwardly patted her on the back.

"Hey, guys," Takato said suddenly. Calumon followed Takato's line of sight and Suzie, Kazu, and Kenta slowly approaching them. "What's up?"

"You know, same old," Kenta said nervously.

"We're glad you're not dead, Chumley," Kazu added. The two boys hadn't spoken much since getting off the train earlier, and looked they weren't going to say much else.

Suzie stayed quiet. Calumon expected Henry to go talk to her, but the two remained apart. No one seemed all that eager to speak next. While this made Calumon sad, it didn't surprise him. A piece of their group was missing and they weren't sure what that meant for them yet.

"What are we going to do next?" Calumon asked.

"We're not really sure yet," Takato replied. "I don't think any of us are really going to know what to do until we get an idea of what the D-Reaper and Myotismon are planning. I say we check in with Tai and the others and go from there.

With that, the Tamers and their digimon moved over to the main group. There wasn't much talking besides Tai and Izzy going over something at the latter's laptop. The Tamers were greeted by Kari and Ken.

"Are you guys doing okay?" Kari asked.

"People are going to be asking us that a lot, aren't they?" Terriermon said to no one in particular.

"Terriermon…" Henry cautioned. For once, Terriermon remained quiet.

"Anyway, I'm sorry for your loss," Kari continued. "I wish there was something more I could have done."

"Don't beat yourself up, Princess," Rika replied. "Some things are just out of your control." Rika walked away from the group before Renamon gave a single bow and followed her Tamer.

"Is her giving me a nickname a good thing?" Kari asked the other Tamers.

"I like to think so," Takato replied

"Anyways, we'd better get back to work," Ken said warmly. "If you guys need anything, let us know."

"Actually…" Takato jerked forward as the two began to walk away, causing Calumon to fall from his shoulder. "Look, I don't know any way to ask this without it sounding weird, so I'll just ask it. Ken, did you know Ryo? Before today, I mean."

Ken turned back to Takato and smiled. "Memory is a funny thing, Takato. Some days, you forget things you thought you never could. Others, you remember things that you swear could never have happened."

"Well, that's not vague and confusing," Terriermon said sarcastically.

"Sorry, I wish I had a better answer for you."

Calumon stood up and scratched the back of his head. What everyone was talking about was giving him a headache, so he decided to forget about it. He leapt up and situated himself on Guilmon's head, but was almost thrown to the ground again when Guilmon tensed up and started growling.

Everyone seemed to notice and turned their attention in the direction Guilmon was staring. One by one, the other digimon reacted much the same way. Calumon felt a familiar presence in the distance, which came into view just over the horizon.

Within a brief moment, ReaperMyotismon touched down a few yards away from them. Calumon looked the group over, finding that everyone was at the ready. They hadn't come up with a plan, or at least not one Calumon had heard, so no one was prepared to fight yet.

Calumon turned forward again to face ReaperMyotismon. He was evil and scary, yes, but Calumon also noticed something peculiar about him. Not only was he not attacking, but he also seemed pretty reserved as he looked over the group.

ReaperMyotismon then gave an approving nod before turning away from his enemies. He waved his hand, opening a portal very similar to the one the Sovereigns used to send Calumon and the Tamer's digimon to this world. He slowly and deliberately stepped through it before disappearing.

The portal, however, did not close behind him. Calumon looked over the group one more time in hopes of finding out why. Everyone seemed to know the answer.


	10. Trust Exercises

Universe 351: The Real World- Shinjuku Park

Gatomon couldn't help but feel as though she were being mocked. In front of her sat a dome-shaped D-Reaper body, about the size of a stadium. It was doing literally nothing. If this was Myotismon's latest attempt at psychological warfare, it was coming across more irritating than demoralizing.

Upon passing through the portal ReaperMyotismon had left in his wake, they found themselves in a version of the Real World that the Tamers had quickly identified as their own. Due to the places she frequented back on File Island, Gatomon had forgotten that it was currently autumn in the Real World. The weather was colder and the trees were covered in multicolored leaves. She might have enjoyed the scenery had circumstances been different.

"So, I'm guessing Myotismon is in there," Agumon was the first to say.

"I think that's a safe bet," Tai replied. He didn't take his eyes off the dome.

"How do we get inside?"

"There are a couple ways," Henry answered. "Still, I'm not sure we should be trying to get in just yet."

"Why's that?" Koji asked.

"Digimon have a hard time maintaining their higher levels inside the D-Reaper. Even if we all had an immunity to these effects, I'd be worried about rushing in their without a plan."

"Then we should fall back to a place where we can come up with one," Takato suggested. He looked at Henry as though he already had a place in mind. The two boys exchanged nods before motioning for everyone else to follow.

"He is not going to be happy to see us."

The group walked a few blocks without much conversation. Gatomon felt like the streets were emptier than they should be. She had assumed they would attract some kind of attention due to the size and nature of the group, but received none.

"What's the matter, Davis?" Veemon asked suddenly. Gatomon turned her head to find the boy looking up at the sky and the buildings around him.

"I guess it's just not as different as I thought it would be," Davis said while keeping his eyes on the skyline. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were back in our world."

"I'm sure you'd find more differences if you scratched the surface," Ken added. "Maybe we can get a tour later."

"What about you?" Kari asked, bringing Gatomon's attention forward again. "Are you feeling better?"

"I think so," Gatomon replied. She wasn't lying. For all that had occurred in her last fight with ReaperMyotismon, Gatomon felt more centered.

"You've been quiet."

"I've just been thinking." Despite feeling better, the imminent battle was still on Gatomon's mind. She doubted she was the only one trying to think of a strategy. Gatomon looked over the Digidestined, trying to figure how each of them would factor into the fight.

Omnimon and Imperialdramon had easily dispatched ReaperMyotismon in their first battle with him. While the demon's power had increased exponentially since then, Gatomon wasn't ready to count those two out yet. Omnimon and Imperialdramon had been key to many of their victories in the past, which would likely continue to be the case here.

The Legendary Warriors acted as though they still had one last trump card to play. All indications, however, seemed to be that they relied on Takuya and Koji to put it into effect. The pair weren't currently on speaking terms, which would definitely affect their performance in a fight.

Most interesting to Gatomon were Takato and Guilmon, who singlehandedly fought and damaged ReaperMyotismon when enraged. She considered going over to them to asking about this power, but decided against it. After all, she wouldn't exactly be willing to use her own Falldown Mode after what the transformation had done to her.

Gatomon put her thoughts aside for the time being when she realized that they had reached their destination. The Digidestined collective found themselves standing between two rectangular office buildings, each half a dozen stories high.

"You know," Kazu began. "I liked the old headquarters better. This place doesn't really have any character."

"They're a secret government organization," Kenta replied. "I think that's what they were going for."

Waiting for them at the entrance to one of the buildings was a blonde man wearing a suit and sunglasses. He anxiously flicked a lighter open and shut as he waited for the group to approach. He was not happy to see them.

"What the hell did you kids do this time?" he asked angrily. His question had been directed mainly towards Takato, Rika, and Henry.

"How much do you already know?" Takato asked nervously.

"I'm really not in the mood for games right now, Mr. Matsuki."

"Look, we need to get everyone off the street," Henry calmly interjected. "Let us get settled and we'll start at the beginning."

* * *

Inside Hypnos HQ

Izzy was tempted to ask for a tour of the facility they were currently in. While the Incorporated Administrative Agency back home served a somewhat similar function, nothing he had seen from them had even compared to what he was able to gleam about Hypnos. Their knowledge of the Digital World and capability of fighting threats from it impressed him, even if it raised some ethical questions in the back of his mind. Still, inquiries regarding the organization itself would have to wait.

Mitsuo Yamaki, the head of the organization, had gathered them in one of the building's larger conference rooms. After ordering an assortment of takeout for the Digidestined and their partners, it seemed he was ready to begin his debrief. Two techs, who had introduced themselves as Riley and Tally, stood off to the side with Yamaki. They seemed to be finalizing the information they had to present.

To Izzy's immediate right sat Tai, Sora, and Matt respectively. The Tamers and Warrior Digidestined sat beyond them, while T.K., Kari, Davis, and Ken were lined up in front of him. While no one was really talking, the Tamers had been particularly quiet since retelling the events leading to Ryo's death.

"Alright, I think it's time we got started," Yamaki said. A screen behind him turned on, depicting the D-Reaper as they had left it Shinjuku Park. "For those of you that don't already know, the D-Reaper manifested itself in locations all over the globe when it invaded two years ago. Today, not only has it only appeared here in Shinjuku, but it hasn't made any efforts to expand its territory."

"How close is it to the location of its defeat?" Izzy asked. He received a number of confused looks.

"It's basically on top of the spot where we deployed Juggernaut to destroy it," Riley explained.

"Thought so." Izzy had no idea what Juggernaut was, but that wasn't the important part of what he had just learned.

"Is that significant?" Yamaki asked.

"It suggests our enemies have personal motives for being here."

"That doesn't make any sense," Jeri stated. Her being the first to speak seemed to surprise the other Tamers, but she took no notice and continued. "Myotismon and Lucemon have no personal stake in this reality, and the D-Reaper wouldn't hold a grudge. It views emotional responses like that as a weakness."

"It used to, maybe," Koji replied, also to the surprise of his own group. "Just think about it for a minute. The D-Reaper is currently sharing a form with two evil digimon that _do_ have an axe to grind. They're probably affecting the way it thinks."

"Is that even possible?" Tai asked Izzy.

"The logic is sound," Izzy replied.

"Trust me," Koji continued. He quickly glanced back at his own friends before looking to the front of the room again. "It would be difficult for it not to happen considering they're of one body and mind right now."

"So, that's your problem? You're afraid I'll affect the way you think?" Takuya asked coldly. All eyes shifted in his direction, with no one speaking at first.

"That's not what I meant."

"Oh, I know exactly what you meant. You're Koji Minamoto." Takuya stood as he adopted a mocking tone. "You're smarter and stronger than the rest of us. You can't have us lesser Digidestined dragging you down."

"Would you give me a chance to explain, Takuya?" Koji asked wearily as he stood up as well.

"Why should I? Do you want to know when _would_ have been a good time to explain? Any time in the last year!" Zoe and Koichi moved forward as though they were going to intervene. Without even looking at them, Takuya pointed an angry finger in their direction. "Stay out of this, you two!"

"What did you want me to say?"

"Anything, for starters. You should know better than anyone that this team doesn't work if we don't communicate."

"You think I don't know that? I know I made a mistake. I'm sorry."

"Koji, someone is dead because of you!" Takuya pauses to look nervously around the room. He briefly looks at the floor with regret in his eyes before facing Koji. "Someone is dead because of _us_. This isn't some accident that we can just apologize for."

"I know that," Koji replied. Both boys were calmer now, but Izzy couldn't help but feel as though the situation hadn't improved. There remained a distance between the two that words weren't going to fix. He knew this from the many arguments like it he had seen firsthand.

"I'm not sure you do," Takuya stated.

"I definitely know we need to make things right. I'm ready to fight now. Win or lose, we'll see this thing through together."

"You're still not getting it." Takuya turned away from Koji. "We tried that and it didn't work. We couldn't form Susanoomon because you didn't trust me to have your back. How am I supposed to trust you with mine?" Koji didn't answer, instead turning his head as well.

"This is not good," Matt said quietly. "Neither of them will be any use in a fight while they're like this."

"Tell me about it," Tai replied in kind. "There's got to be something we can do."

"If _only_ we knew two people who've been in the same spot a thousand times," Sora added. It wasn't lost on Izzy what was she was hinting at.

"Do you have anyone in particular in mind?" Matt asked.

"I mean, Davis and T.K. like to fight a lot," Tai suggested. "Or maybe she means a couple of the Tamers."

"Unbelievable…" Sora said under her breathe. She stood up, grabbing Tai and Matt by the backs of their shirts, forcing them to stand upright. She turned them in the general direction of the two Warriors. "Help them fix this. Now!"

"Yes, ma'am," the two of them said nervously.

"Takuya, Koji, you're both coming with us," Matt called over to the two, who responded with confused looks. "Yes, you two. Don't stand around, we're wasting daylight."

"Hey, Mr. Yamaki," Tai said while making his way to the front of the room. "You guys wouldn't happen to have a big, open space nearby? I mean, really big."

"We might have something that suits your purposes," Yamaki replied as he turned to face Riley. "Take them down to the Danger Room."

"You got it, Boss," Riley said. She led the four boys out of the conference room with Agumon, Gabumon, and the four remaining Warrior Digidestined hot on their trail.

"Honestly, sometimes I wonder if those two will ever grow up," Sora said as she sat back down and buried her face in her hands.

"Would you really want them too?" Izzy asked. In a sea of changing variables, he liked that his closest friends could remain as constants.

"No, I guess not." Sora lifted her head up, now with a slight smile on her face.

"Excuse me for a second," Izzy said as he stood up. He had noticed Henry talking to Yamaki at the front of the room, and hoped the two of them could clarify some things for him. Izzy moved forward and past Tally, who was talking to Calumon of all people, to where Henry and Yamaki stood.

"What's up, Izzy?" Henry asked, having noticed him first.

"I just had a couple questions," Izzy replied. "First off, what's Juggernaut?"

"Something we are _not_ going to use."

"We really can't rule anything like that out, Mr. Wong," Yamaki said sternly. "There's too much at stake and we don't know of any sure way of defeating the D-Reaper."

"We'll find another way."

"I was also wondering if I could get access to any information you have on the first D-Reaper," Izzy interrupted. "If I could go over it, I might find something you missed the first time around."

"I vouch for him," Henry said before Yamaki had a chance to ask. "If anyone will find something the Monster Makers didn't, it's Izzy."

"Very well," Yamaki resigned. "Anything else?"

"Anything left over from the Red Card would help. No matter what we decide to do, we're probably going to need to get inside that dome."

"I'll give Shibumi a call." Yamaki walked away, leaving the Izzy and Henry on their own.

"I guess that's our que to get to work," Izzy said. He opened his laptop, pulling up what information he had been able to collect on his own.

"I'll see what I can do to help," Henry replied. "Last time we beat the D-Reaper, it came at a cost. One that I am not willing to pay again." Izzy didn't ask for clarification, deciding it was a memory Henry would rather not relive. They had more important things to do anyway.

* * *

"The Danger Room"

Riley had led the small group of Digidestined to an elevator that took them down to one of the facility's sublevels. From there, it had only been a short walk to the location Yamaki had been referring to. The room Koji was now standing in was about the size of school gymnasium, and the walls were all lined with reflective panels.

Takuya stood to Koji's left and resumed giving him the silent treatment. Tai, Matt, and their digimon were huddled in a circle across from them. Koji couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could tell from body language that they were having a small argument of their own. If he had to guess, Tai was coming up with a game plan on the fly and Matt wasn't overly enthusiastic about the notion.

"The Tamers keep a bunch of training scenarios preloaded in the system," Riley said over the loudspeaker. Upon reaching their destination, she had headed into a control room to oversee the "exercise." Koichi, Zoe, Tommy, and J.P. had followed and were watching by her side. "Do you want me to boot up one of those?"

"No, that's okay," Tai called out. "Just something plain and simple will do."

"Plain and simple coming right up." Their surroundings began to shift until they took the shape of a Roman coliseum. Koji bent down and was able to pick up a handful of dirt. If he hadn't known any better, he would thought he was touching the real thing. He wondered how real the rest of the construct was, as well as how it worked.

"Alright, so what did you drag us down here for?" Takuya asked impatiently.

"To get you two back on the same page," Matt explained. "When we first started out, the two of us didn't get along all that well either. We fought and… sometimes we _fought_."

"Good times," Gabumon said nostalgically.

"Come to think of it, did we ever keep score?" Agumon asked cheerily.

"That's enough, Peanut Gallery," Tai interrupted before turning to Takuya and Koji again. "Believe it or not, it helped us sort out more of our differences than you'd think. That said, I don't think fighting each other is what the two of you need right now, so we're going to try something different. Instead, it'll be the two of you against us."

"Is that really a good idea?" Koji asked. He was certain it wasn't. There was an actual battle looming, and the last think they needed to do was accidently injure each other.

"We don't really have any other options," Matt replied. "Let's face it, if you guys can't defend yourselves against us, you'll be a liability in fight with ReaperMyotismon."

Koji couldn't bring himself to disagree with Matt's last statement. He thought back to the promise he made to himself earlier, about starting to put things right. As unconventional as this fight was, Tai and Matt's logic wasn't completely without merit.

"Let's just get this over with," Takuya said as he pulled out his D-Tector. In flash, he took on the form of EmperorGreymon. He drew his sword and pointed it at Tai and Matt. "I'll wait for the rest of you to get dressed."

"How considerate of you," Matt said with a grin. He and Tai both pulled out their digivices, resulting in Agumon and Gabumon becoming WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon respectively.

Koji took a second to concentrate, bringing his hand down onto his own D-Tector. Soon after that, he was MagnaGarurumon once again. No sooner had he finished his transformation, however, had EmperorGreymon charged their opponents.

"Defend against this," EmperorGreymon called out as he attempted to bring his sword down on WarGreymon. Dodging the attack seemed like an easy feat, as WarGreymon easily side-stepped and allowed the sword to crash to the ground. Using the momentum he gained from dodging, he followed up by delivering a powerful kick to EmperorGreymon's face. Pressing his advantage, WarGreymon began a series of consecutive strikes with his claws. Due to his opponent's bulky armor, WarGreymon had the advantage when it came to speed. EmperorGreymon was forced into a defensive stance, much to his own frustration.

MagnaGarurumon's first instinct was to aid his friend. He brought the cannon on his right arm to bear and pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, he had given MetalGarurumon the opening he needed to strike. The robotic canine landed right on top of the cannon. The blast hit the ground harmlessly, only managing to kick up some dirt. MagnaGarurumon regained his composure in time to see the energy building up in his opponent's mouth.

"METAL WOLF CLAW!"

The blast hit MagnaGarurumon head on, blasting him across the arena and into a wall. He tried to move, but found his torso and arms encased in ice from the blast he took. As he struggled to free himself, he looked back to the fight.

EmperorGreymon was still fending off WarGreymon's attacks, but that was about to come to an end. MetalGarurumon came at EmperorGreymon from his left side, biting down on the Warrior of Flame's leg. EmperorGreymon lost his balance just long enough for WarGreymon to land a solid hit. EmperorGreymon fell onto his back, and MagnaGarurumon could see the frustration continuing to build in his eyes.

Seeing MetalGarurumon move into position for a follow-up attack, MagnaGarurumon knew it was time to reenter the fray. Discarding the cannons on his arms, he deployed his beam swords and broke free of the ice that was immobilizing him. He charged at MetalGarurumon, only for WarGreymon to intercept his swords with his claws. WarGreymon didn't provide an opportunity for a counterattack, taking hold of MagnaGarurumon and tossing him at EmperorGreymon, who had been in the process of picking himself up.

"That's it, I'm done with this!" EmperorGreymon yelled. He stood straight up and drove his sword into the ground.

"Takuya, wait!" MagnaGarurumon warned, but it was already too late.

"PYRO DRAGONS!"

Seven pillars of fire shaped like dragon heads emerged from the ground and moved in the direction of WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon. The two Megas jumped in the direction of their partners as the attack slammed into the ground, covering the floor of the area in fire.

MagnaGarurumon hadn't been able to dodge in time, with the blast forcing him back into his human form. Koji looked across the arena to see WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon gently setting Tai and Matt back on the ground. Their armor was a little singed, but they were mostly unharmed.

"There's more where that came from," EmperorGreymon said wearily. "Who wants to-?"

WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon slammed into him mid-sentence. Crashing to the ground, EmperorGreymon finally returned to human form.

Koji conceded that their chances of winning the fight had been slim. While he and Takuya likely had the advantage when it came to raw power, they lacked the experience that their opponents had. Tai, Matt, and their partners not only had fought more battles than them, but also had spent more time fighting as a team. That, coupled with Takuya and Koji's current mindsets, meant the outcome of the fight had been guaranteed.

Still, Koji wasn't ready to give up yet. He walked over to Takuya and pulled him to his feet. Once standing, Takuya immediately pulled away and began to stare Koji down as though he were waiting for him to speak.

"You were right," Koji said calmly. "It was my fault we couldn't merge. I was afraid of sharing a single form with you."

"Tell me something I don't know," Takuya replied, turning away from Koji.

"My fears had nothing to do with you. I was more worried about how _I_ would affect _you_ if we merged again."

"That's… stupid." Takuya turned to face Koji. "What could possibly have changed that I don't already know about?"

"That's just it. I haven't changed, at least not as much as I thought I had. When we finally got home, I was so convinced that everything was going to be different, but I ended up being just as cold and distant as ever."

"You didn't have to be."

"I know that now, but before…" Koji trailed off, still not exactly sure where he was going with the thought.

"You were worried I would sense your doubts, or worse, that I would start to have them too." Takuya sighed and shook his head. As far as Koji could tell, he was starting to find the whole thing amusing. "I take back what said before. _That's_ what's stupid. You thought your bad attitude could bring me down? Buddy, I got used to it a long time ago."

"I guess you did." Koji grinned, but kept himself from laughing outright. "So, what comes next?"

"I'm not sure." Takuya's smile fell away. "We've both said and done a lot of things. It's hard to say where we should start."

"How about with this fight?" Koji pulled out his D-Tector and began to call up the power of the spirits within. "We can figure out the rest from there." Takuya nodded and did as Koji had.

"ANCIENT SPIRITS UNITE!"

This time, the fusion did not falter. They became of one body and mind. They became Susanoomon. Together, Koji and Takuya turned to face their opponents.

"Impressive, but let's see how it performs under pressure," Tai said cockily. He exchanged a nod with Matt before the pair called on a powerful energy with their digivices. WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon dissolved and then reconstituted themselves as a single knight. "Show 'em a real fusion, Omnimon!"

Omnimon made the first move, calling forth a massive cannon from his right arm and firing it right at them. Susanoomon didn't dodge, instead opting to catch the blast with his bare hands. Struggling to hold it back, Susanoomon increased his energy output and managed to neutralize the attack.

Koji knew that they wouldn't be able to use the same trick twice. He tried to formulate a strategy, but he felt Takuya object to doing so. He wanted to trust their instincts, so Koji cleared his mind to continue the fight.

Susanoomon charged, getting in close before Omnimon could gather the energy for another attack. Realizing what was happening, Omnimon dismissed his cannon and blocked Susanoomon's first punch with his right arm. The shockwave caused by the collision seemed to distort the coliseum a bit.

Susanoomon had intended to continue with an immediate follow-up attack, but backed off upon seeing Omnimon materialize a massive sword from his left arm. The knight swung the sword, and Susanoomon was barely able to dodge the strike. Takuya and Koji agreed that they would meet this new weapon with their own blade.

Susanoomon retreated to the other side of the arena and called forth the gestalt contraption that was his primary weapon. The weapon activated, resulting in the emission of a yellow energy blade.

"CELESTIAL BLADE!"

With all his strength, Susanoomon swung the weapon. Despite how slow moving it was, Omnimon did not try to avoid it. Instead, he met it head on with his own sword. The blades clashed, and the resulting energy sent the Danger Room into a frenzy.

"You guys are gonna have to call a timeout," Riley said over the loudspeaker as alarms began to sound. "Keep this up and you'll end up leveling the entire facility."

Both digimon complied by splitting into their component parts. Koji watched as Agumon and Gabumon returned to their partners' sides, pleased with themselves as well as with the results of the "exercise." As the Roman coliseum disappeared around them, Koji looked over to Takuya, who gave him a thumbs-up. For now, nothing else needed to be said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I tried to come up with a long, technical name for the Danger Room, but decided against it. I liked the idea of one of the Tamers (likely Takato) likening the room to its comic book namesake, and that its "real" name was forgotten soon after that.
> 
> In other trivia you didn't ask for, I remember coming up with a list a things I wanted to include in this fic when I started planning it out. These weren't only plot and character ideas, but also "fanboy" moments I wanted to integrate. On this list is a note that simple reads "Omnimon vs Susanoomon."


	11. Dusk

Universe 351: The Real World- Hypnos HQ

After Riley had led Tai and the others out of the conference room, it hadn't taken long for the remaining Digidestined to disperse. Some were actively trying to come with a way to defeat their enemy while the rest were simply trying to collect themselves. Kari and Gatomon fell into the latter group, and were currently wandering around the parts of the facility that they weren't being denied access to.

The pair had found themselves on a mostly empty floor. Gatomon stared out the windows as she walked on top of a radiator. The sun was setting, and she knew that Myotismon would likely strike soon. His strength had always been greatest in the darkness.

"Won't be long now," Gatomon said quietly.

"We'll come up with something," Kari assured her. "We always do."

"I take it that your team is fond of last minute saves as well," a smooth voice said. The pair turned a corner and found Renamon sitting near an open window.

"They're our specialty."

"I take it you had the same idea we did," Gatomon said to the kitsune.

"If that idea was finding a spot to center your thoughts, then yes," Renamon replied. "Apparently we weren't the only ones with that desire." Renamon motioned out the window. Below them, Tai sat alone on bench in between the two Hypnos buildings.

"You're giving him too much credit," Kari replied. "Knowing my brother, he wandered out there while looking for a place to take a nap."

"So, why are you down here on your own?" Gatomon asked, turning her attention back to Renamon. "I would think you would want to be with Rika and the rest of your team." Gatomon knew that if it had been one of their own who had fallen in battle, the Digidestined would have been inseparable. For a second, Gatomon worried she had been too direct with the question. To Renamon's credit, however, she didn't seem to be offended.

"I didn't want to crowd them," Renamon explained. "They each have developed their own coping mechanisms for times like these. They're directly above us right now, so you could probably hear them if you listen closely enough." Renamon closed her eyes and leaned her head back. "I can just make out the sound of a pencil on paper. The strokes are slow and deliberate, so I'd wager Takato is drawing to calm his nerves."

Gatomon closed her eyes and listened as well. Renamon was right about what she had heard. Gatomon could also hear footsteps not far from Takato. "Someone's pacing back and forth up there."

"Rika hates sitting still when she's stressed. She hasn't called me yet, so whatever is bothering her, she doesn't want to talk about it. I can also hear Kazu and Kenta playing with their trading cards. They're being quieter than usual, but I can't blame them."

"There's also someone typing up a storm."

"Henry has found a computer to work at. He wants to help find a way to stop the D-Reaper, but doesn't want to be far from the others. I'm actually surprised Terriermon isn't talking his ear off."

"Can you guys really hear all that?" Kari asked, breaking Gatomon's concentration. Both digimon turned to face the Digidestined of Light.

"We can if we concentrate on a point of interest," Renamon explained. "The same applies to our other senses."

"I bet you could do it too," Gatomon added. She thought about the concerns Kari and Izzy had brought up in their conversation on the topic. Still, Gatomon felt safe in assuming that heightened senses would be less of a strain on Kari than manifesting a bow and arrow.

"I believe an opportunity to test this theory has presented itself." Renamon motioned outside again. Unknown to Tai, Sora was approaching the bench he was sitting at.

Gatomon saw a slight smirk emerge on Kari's face. Her partner would normally be against listening in on other people's conversations, but the fact that they would be spying on her older brother meant this scenario fell into a bit of a grey area. Kari closed her eyes and, after a couple seconds, a feint glow was emitted from her D3. Gatomon turned her attention out the window again, deciding she might as well listen in as well.

"Enjoying the view?" Sora called out as she got closer.

Tai turned his head around, smiling upon seeing who was calling out to him. "Something like that," he replied.

"So, how'd it go?" Sora asked as she vaulted herself over the back of the bench so that she was sitting next to Tai.

"How'd what go?"

"Seriously?" Sora began to repeatedly tap her knuckles on the top of Tai's head. "Takuya and Koji's 'team-building exercise.' What else would I be talking about?"

"Hey, I was kidding. Stop that!" Tai gently grabbed Sora's wrist to keep her from hitting him. After a second, she smiled and complied.

"So?"

"We hit them until they started hitting us back."

"That was your big plan?"

"Give us some credit. We didn't really have a lot of time to work out the details. Besides, when they hit us, they did it together."

"I take it back. You're wise beyond your years," Sora replied sarcastically, turning away and shaking her head as she spoke.

"Mock me if you want, but I think I'm getting the hang of the whole 'wise mentor' thing." Tai placed both his hands on his neck and leaned back. "Back when we were trapped underground, I gave some profound and meaningful advice to Takato. I think he's gonna take it."

"Sovereigns help him if he does."

"What about you? How'd your chat with your new best friend go?"

"Good, or at least I think it did." Sora's tone became more thoughtful and serious. "With people like Rika, you have to find a balance between pushing hard enough that they'll listen to you and not pushing so hard that they shut down."

"Learn anything you care to share?"

"A couple things," Sora answered. Gatomon doubted Sora would share everything her and Rika talked about. Betraying someone's confidence like that wasn't in her nature. "Turns out her and Takato are _not_ dating."

"You thought there was something there?"

"I'm still not convinced there isn't."

"I'll differ to your judgement then." Tai placed a hand on Sora's forearm, causing her to turn to face him. "You're the Digidestined of Love, not me."

"Must be one of those unspoken things. Do you think they'll ever get wise?"

"Not if they're anything like you two," Kari interjected quietly, to which Gatomon rolled her eyes. Kari had no right to talk, as she and T.K. had been playing the same game since they were little kids. Gatomon resigned that it must be something inherent to being a Digidestined.

Back outside, Tai and Sora had become quiet. They had separated a bit, and both seemed to be thinking about something. Gatomon wondered if they had reached the same conclusion Kari had.

"Tai…" Sora began. They both seemed a bit nervous now. "I just wanted to say-"

"This is just another fight, Sora," Tai interrupted. "We're gonna win and we're _all_ going home afterwards. You can tell me what you wanted to say then."

"I guess you're right," Sora replied disappointedly.

"All I'll say now is there are things I want say too." Tai's gaze met Sora's one more time. "Things I should have had the courage to say a long time ago."

Sora leaned her head on Tai's shoulder and let him put his arm around her. "Stupid Tai…"

"At this point, I think we're intruding," Renamon said. Gatomon exchanged a nod with Kari before releasing her concentration on the scene outside.

"Time to get back to work?" Kari asked.

"I guess so," Gatomon answered. She took one last look in the direction of Shinjuku Park. Whatever battle plans they came up with, she had already decided what _she _would have to do to end this fight.

"I think I'll head back upstairs to my friends," Renamon said. As she started to walk away, she turned to face Gatomon one more. "You seem a lot more at peace than you did back in the Digital World. Whatever caused this change, I'm glad it worked."

"Well, you know what they say," Gatomon replied, scratching the back of her ear nervously. "The right kind of catnip can work wonders." Renamon gave what Gatomon believed to be a smile before sauntering off. Gatomon turned around to face Kari, who was smiling as though she thought something was funny. "What?"

"Somebody has a crush," Kari teased.

"Digimon don't…" Gatomon decided against the thought. She hopped on her partner's shoulder and motioned for her to start walking. "You know what? I'm not talking about this with you again."

"Don't be ashamed. With a voice like _that_, I might even take a pass at her."

"You know she can probably still hear you, right?"

"Do you think she'll scold us?" Kari was doing her best impression of the kitsune's voice. "Gatomon, you've been a very naughty kitty."

"I hate you." Kari laughed out loud as she started walking, which put Gatomon's mind at ease somewhat. As awkward as the conversation was, it was worth it just hear that sound.

* * *

Takato's pencil broke as he pressed it down on his notebook. He had let his thoughts wander away from the page in front of him again. This time, it was the realization that Ryo's parents still had no idea what had happened to their son, and that no decision had been made about how they were going to be told. Part of him felt that it was his responsibility, but he had no idea how he would go about doing so.

"What's the matter, Takatomon?" Guilmon asked. The digimon had perked his head up upon hearing the pencil snap.

"A lot of things, boy," Takato replied softly. He didn't see any point in lying to his partner. While they didn't have a psychic connection in the same way Rika and Renamon did, they both were usually able to get a good read on how the other was feeling.

"Do you want to talk about it?" If he thought something was wrong, Guilmon never hesitated to try and help. It didn't matter if he was out of his depth.

"I'm not sure there's anything left to say."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Takato turned to the sound of a voice he would recognize anywhere. "Maybe you just need a fresh set of ears," Jeri added. She scratched Guilmon behind the ear before sitting in a chair next to Takato.

"Fine, but I'm not talking to any puppets," Takato said after a beat. He couldn't bring himself to turn her down. When Jeri offered to listen to her friends' problems, it was never out of obligation. She had a genuine desire and need to help her friends. In that way, she remained a key member of the team despite not being able to fight alongside them.

"Takato, I haven't carried that rag around in years." Jeri seemed a little insulted for a brief second before returning to her normal, warm persona. "So, where do you want to start?"

"What do you know already?"

"I know this is about more than just you not being able to save Ryo."

Takato hesitated for a second and turned away from her. He didn't look back up when he spoke. "I lost control again."

"We were both a part of it, Takato," Guilmon said in an attempt to console him.

"But it was my fault, boy. It was like Megidramon all over again, only this time I didn't just force you to become a monster. I became one myself too."

"You're worried that you're putting the rest of us in danger too," Jeri observed. "More than that, you're wondering if we'd be better off without you."

Takato nodded. "The thought has crossed mind, not that I would ever be able to act on it."

"Why is that?" Takato finally turned to face Jeri, and found she was looking at him with a tilted head. Knowing her, she already knew the answer, but was set on making him say it out loud.

"In the end, I guess I'm more afraid of what I'd be without you guys. Being on my own would probably make things worse. I count on you guys to keep me grounded."

"You know the reverse is true too, right?" Jeri replied lightly. "You not being here would tear us apart more than anything else. How do you think Rika would react if you just disappeared on her?"

"How will she react if become feral again and turn on her during a fight?" Jeri gave him a brief glare. That had obviously not been what she wanted him to take away from this conversation. "Sorry, I'm just not sure how to fix this."

"I don't know that there's anything to fix, Takato. Every one of us has a dark side in one form or another, but what shape it takes doesn't matter. What matters is what we do about it and, sometimes, with it." There was no doubt in Jeri's voice. Takato could tell she believed everything she had just said was a statement of fact.

Takato smiled. "Well, at least you're not just telling me what I want to hear."

"Sorry, but that's just the kind of friends you have," Jeri replied happily. "You're stuck with us until the day you die. I've already sent a memo to the others." The thought made Takato feel better, even after the yelling started.

"You take that back, rabbit!"

"Why don't you make me?"

"Aw, nuts," Takato breathed as he turned towards the ruckus. The scene was not an unfamiliar one. Renamon was restraining Rika from taking her frustration out on Terriermon, who himself was trying to wriggle his way out of Henry's arms. Takato made his way over to them with Jeri and Guilmon close behind.

"You've got a lot of nerve," Rika barked.

"Me? You're the one who flew off the handle," Terriermon retorted.

"What are you guys fighting about?" Takato asked, loudly enough that it got their attention.

"Big Ears said he's glad Ryo's gone," Rika explained.

"I didn't say that," Terriermon replied as he finally got free from Henry's grasp. "I just said I'm glad it was him and not Henry or Suzie we lost. There's a difference!"

"Not as far as I can see."

"That's because you need to-"

"If you say 'moumantai,' I swear I'll make you eat your own ears!"

"Moumantai!" Terriermon took hold of his own ears and pushed them forward as though he were presenting them to Rika. "Moumantai! Moumantai! Moumantai!"

"Enough!" Takato yelled. Takato paused for a beat so that he could calm down. Realizing that he had Rika and Terriermon's attention again, he took a deep breath before continuing. "I know we're in a tough spot right now, but fighting with each other like this isn't going to solve anything."

"No, but clobbering him might make me feel better," Rika said, anger dissipating somewhat.

"I don't see what she's so angry about," Terriermon said. He, on the other hand, seemed to be raising his voice. "She didn't even like the guy."

"Terriermon…" Henry warned.

"No, I'm not gonna stop, Henry. Why should I? Rika's only mad because she's never gonna be able to prove she's better than her rival."

"That has nothing to do with it!" Rika yelled. She seemed more hurt than angry now. Despite her usual façade, Takato knew that Rika hated the fact that some their friends still considered her the "Ice Queen" with no real emotions.

"Rika…" Takato said quietly so that only she noticed. Takato shook his head slightly once they made eye contact, that being his way of suggesting she let Terriermon vent. Rika seemed to get the message.

"It's not fair!" Terriermon continued, choking a bit as he spoke. "Am I not supposed to be mad at the guy because he's not here? Thanks to him I can't keep my head straight. I keep thinking I'm gonna make a mistake out there and we'll lose someone else. I don't know what losing your partner feels like, but I don't want to find out." Terriermon rubbed his hand at the corner of his eye, likely in an effort to keep any tears from rolling down his face.

"You're right," Takato said softly after a few seconds. "It isn't fair. After all we've done protect the world, we're the first to get hurt when things go wrong."

"Then what's the point?"

"The point is to save as many lives as we can. We can't save everyone. Not that we shouldn't try, but it's something we have to accept. When we do lose someone, we pick ourselves up and fight harder, because that's what they would want."

Takato looked around the group, receiving approving nods from Henry and Renamon. Rika and Terriermon didn't speak, but seemed calmer. The latter hopped on his partner's shoulder and motioned him away.

"Come on, Henry," Terriermon said. "We have lives to save."

"Let's pick ourselves up then," Rika added with a subtle smile. "How do you come up with this crap, Goggle-head?"

"It kind of just comes to me," Takato replied while scratching the back of his head. "I'm sorry for interrupting you, by the way. If there's anything that you still want to get off your chest, I'm-"

"-more than willing to listen. I know, but I'm gonna pass." She gave Takato's arm a slight squeeze as she walked past him. "Thanks anyway."

Takato turned to face Jeri, who was smiling as though she had something else to add. "Alright, what's on your mind?"

"Nothing," Jeri replied innocently. "I was just curious if you were still wondering if we'd be better off without you."

* * *

Shinjuku Park- Inside the D-Reaper

The sun had set. The most opportune time to finish off the Digidestined was approaching and Myotismon was losing his patience. He had still not secured Lucemon's cooperation and every second they wasted gave their enemies a better chance at striking the first blow. Myotismon was currently on his way to the D-Reaper's core where he would attempt to reason with the Demon Lord one more time.

As he approached, he was greeted by the ADR-01. The D-Reaper's primary agent had changed its appearance since traveling through the portal, now slightly more feminine in appearance. To Myotismon's understanding, it was now identical to the ADR-01 used by the D-Reaper that had failed to destroy this world. No doubt this was its way of following his earlier advice and was going to take a more personal approach to ending this conflict.

"You seem irritated, Subject Myotismon," the ADR-01 observed. Its voice had also changed somewhat, now sounding more sadistic. "Is our victory not imminent?"

"That is what I am going to determine," Myotismon replied dismissively.

"Subject Lucemon has been anticipating your arrival."

"Has he now?"

"He is eagerly awaiting your next conversation." Myotismon did not respond and proceeded to his destination. Perhaps the Lord of Pride had finally seen the error of his ways. He approached Lucemon, finding him still sitting in a meditative position.

"You wanted to speak with me?" Myotismon asked.

"No, but I knew you would want to speak with me one more time," Lucemon answered, condescension still in his voice. "I'll save you the trouble by saying that I still won't join you."

"I would reconsider that decision."

"Why? I already know that you're going to lose."

"Do you now?" It took all of Myotismon's willpower to not strike Lucemon.

"Tell me," Lucemon said while tilting his head. "How many times have those children killed you? Twice?"

"Three times…" Myotismon corrected. He didn't enjoy being openly mocked. "What's your point?"

"My 'point' is that they've bested you so many times and you still don't understand why. The children win because they fight together for something they believe in."

"You can't be serious."

"Don't feel bad. I've made the same mistake myself and suffered for it."

"Perhaps you're not aware of this, but I did _not_ fight them alone."

"You had slaves and servants," Lucemon explained. He shook his head and averted his vision from Myotismon. "The Digidestined are bound together. They would die to protect each other and their worlds, and that gives them a power you and I could never hope to understand."

"You are as foolish as they are," Myotismon replied angrily. "What do I need sentiment for when I possess the power of the most dangerous program in the multiverse?"

"The D-Reaper is a shell of its former self thanks to your meddling. When the fighting is over, you'll realize how little you actually had."

"I know exactly what I have." Myotismon gestured towards Lucemon and a trio of red cables drove themselves into the Demon Lord. These would allow Myotismon to assimilate Lucemon's power into his own, even without consent. By the look on his face, Lucemon understood this. "Thank you for your contribution."

Despite the situation he was in, Lucemon managed to laugh as he was absorbed. "You poor fool…"

* * *

Hypnos HQ

If Calumon had to name the thing he hated most about his friends being sad, it was that they would sometimes wander off to a place where he couldn't find them. How could he help them feel better if they were hiding from him? It didn't help that the friend he was currently looking for was a bit smaller than the rest, so he had an easier time hiding.

Calumon poked his head into all the offices and cubicles he came across. Not all of them were empty, but none of them seemed to be where Impmon was hiding. The worst part was that Impmon had disappeared at the exact second Calumon had figured out how to help him. Calumon had considered asking Jeri for help finding the purple digimon, but had decided against it. Takato and the others looked like they needed her more.

Calumon was about to take a minute to catch his breath when he heard a noise coming from a nearby breakroom. He looked inside and found the digimon he was looking for. Impmon was sitting atop one of the counters, lighting and dousing a flame on the tip of his finger over and over again.

"Found you!" Calumon called out as he leapt up to the counter.

"I guess ya did, Creampuff," Impmon replied quietly without looking up from his hand.

"You know, you don't have to be all mopey. Things are gonna work out."

"I hope so."

"I know so." Calumon paused for a second as he heard voices and the familiar hum of a D-Power's radar get closer. "But you don't have to take my word for it."

"No offense, Calumon, but I don't feel like chattin' right now."

"I bet you change your mind when you see the two friends I brought." Calumon pointed towards the doorway and, just as Impmon turned his attention towards it, two small humans rounded the corner.

"There you are," the girl said as she turned off the D-Power in her hand.

"I thought we were gonna get lost looking for you in this place," the boy added.

"Ai, Mako…" Impmon said. In all the time Calumon had known him, he very rarely became speechless. He turned his attention to Calumon. "Did you…?"

"I helped," Calumon replied proudly. Getting Impmon's Tamers to Hypnos had actually been pretty easy. All he had to do was ask Tally to make a phone call.

"And yous," Impmon said as he turned his attention to Ai and Mako. He looked more like his old self. "Where have you ben? We're facin' the end of da world, and you're off visitin' Granny."

Both Tamers laughed. "We missed you too, Impmon," Ai said.

As Impmon continued to rant to his partners, Calumon slipped out of the breakroom. He had done his part, and decided that he didn't need to be around for the mushy parts that came next. He was in the middle of trying to figure out where to go next when he felt a slight tremor.

Calumon followed his instincts and headed towards the conference room that everyone had met in earlier. By the time he arrived, all humans and digimon were staring at a monitor showing a collapsed building.

"Riley, Tally, give me something," Yamaki ordered.

"It was an office building," Tally replied. "No night staff as far as I can tell."

"Get me a visual on the D-Reaper."

"Working on it," Riley called out. She pushed some buttons in front of her and the image on the screen changed. The screen now showed ReaperMyotismon standing by the D-Reaper dome.

"Where are you, Digidestined? It's time to face your destiny," ReaperMyotismon's voice blared through the room's speakers. While his appearance remained mostly the same, he now had two wings, one angelic and one demonic.

"Well, now we know what he wanted Lucemon for," Koichi commented.

"Do we have a way to stop them yet?" Tai asked.

"Nothing concrete," Henry replied.

"We have Juggernaut," Yamaki declared.

"I said we're not risking it. Besides, the D-Reaper probably knows that's how we won last time. It might be expecting that."

"Well, there are no other options available to us now."

"Give me something, Izzy," Tai said as he walked over to his friend's laptop. For a reason he couldn't quite explain, Calumon hopped onto the table Izzy was sitting at and did the same. He looked at the computer screen, seeing a bunch of lines and numbers that made no sense to him.

"This code is ridiculous," Izzy explained. "I've been over every inch of it and run all kinds of simulations and nothing takes. The D-Reaper has evolved beyond our means to fight it practically."

"So there's nothing we can do?"

"Not unless you know of a way to reverse its evolution."

"Like I said, Juggernaut is our only option right now," Yamaki stated.

"Or maybe I could give it a try," Calumon said without thinking. The whole room fell silent and all eyes focused on him.

"Try what, exactly?" Izzy was the first to ask.

"To de-evolve it."

"How would you be able to do that?"

"I'm a catalyzer."

"Cata_lyst_," Henry corrected. "He's basically the living embodiment of digital evolution. We didn't realize it at first, but he used to play a hand in helping our partners digivolve."

"Yeah, but he's never shown the ability to reverse the process before," Rika pointed out. Calumon felt like he was going to get whiplash from turning to face all the people talking about him. "Plus, the D-Reaper isn't exactly a digimon."

"No, but I'm finding more similarities between the two than I thought I would," Izzy said as he leaned back from his laptop.

"The more I think about it, the more I think it might work," Takato said while scratching the back of his head. "We first encountered the first D-Reaper when we were trying to rescue Calumon. We just assumed it didn't want him helping the rest of the digimon digivolve, but what if there was more to it?" There was a pause before anyone spoke again. Calumon was still trying to figure where his idea came from, but it seemed like everyone else was starting to like it.

"Be honest, Izzy," Tai finally said. "Do you think this can work?"

"I don't know," Izzy replied. "It seems farfetched, but farfetched is kind of what we do."

"Remember when we defeated Diaboromon using junk mail?" T.K. asked nostalgically.

"Or how we beat MaloMyotismon?" Davis added. "Took him down using hopes, dreams, and a really big gun."

"What about you?" Tai asked Calumon. The boy leaned on the table so that the two of them were eye-level. "Do you really think you can pull this off?"

"I think so," Calumon answered. Something about the way Tai asked him gave him an extra bit of confidence. "I mean, the worst that can happen is that it doesn't work."

"That's putting it lightly," Yamaki commented. Calumon didn't pay the man much mind. His answer had been good enough for Tai.

"Alright, all we need is a plan as to how we're gonna pull this off," Tai said confidently as he turned to the rest of the group.

"Seems like all we have to do is get Calumon inside that dome," Davis suggested.

"It's not going to be that easy," Takuya pointed out. "ReaperMyotismon's already thrown down the gauntlet. He'll be expecting us."

"Some of us will have to distract him while the others sneak Calumon inside," Takato explained.

"You're right," Tai said. "We'll probably have to throw all our heavy hitters at him just so he doesn't suspect anything."

Calumon looked around the room as the others gathered closer to finish the plan. They were all only sure of one thing: They would only get one shot this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I originally set out to write this fic, I had it in my head that I wasn't going to pick a side when it came to the Taiorato aspect of it, treating their dynamic basically like an equilateral love triangle. Then I ended up writing this chapter and my inner 8 year old won out. I have some regrets about caving in that regard, but at the same time I think was long overdue to write something Taiora. The decisions we have to make sometimes, am I right?


	12. Bound Together

Universe 351: The Real World- Shinjuku Park

Gallantmon looked on towards ReaperMyotismon, who seemed to be eagerly anticipating their arrival. Takato was nervous, but not significantly more so than he would have been in a normal fight. They had a plan, and he believed they would triumph if they stuck to it.

Gungnir, his lance, and Blutgang, his broadsword, materialized in Gallantmon's hands. Despite the imminent battle, Takato couldn't help but take a second to reflect on his Crimson Mode. He still couldn't figure out a consistent method of calling on the form, but he always seemed to be able to access it when he needed its power most. The fact that he had be able to so easily call upon it in this scenario foreshadowed a tough battle.

"Is something wrong, Takatomon?" Guilmon's disembodied voice asked.

"No, I was just thinking," Takato replied calmly.

"Well, try not to think too hard. I don't want our head to start hurting during the fight."

"He's probably just trying to figure out what kind of speech he wants to give before we charge in there," Rika teased. To his right stood Sakuyamon and MegaGargomon, both also awaiting their rematch with ReaperMyotismon.

"We've got this," Takato said as confidently as he could. "No speech necessary."

"Yeah, this is gonna be _so_ easy," Terriermon added. "We're only facing the end of the world."

"Terriermon…" Henry warned.

"Moumantai, Henry. We'll be long dead before that happens."

No one acknowledged Terriermon's last comment, as most eyes were trained forward. The rest of their "heavy hitters" were lined up to Gallantmon's left. Front and center in the group was Omnimon and beyond him were Imperialdramon, Ophanimon, Seraphimon, and Susanoomon. Tai, Matt, Davis, Ken, T.K., and Kari stood not far behind them. Everyone else was waiting for the fighting to start so that they could initiate their part of the plan.

"I'm glad you all decided to attend. I've been looking for a chance to test my new Chaos Mode," ReaperMyotismon taunted. He raised an arm and an assortment of the D-Reaper's agents materialized behind him. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment. Revenge and everything else I've ever wanted is about to be mine."

"Now who's being melodramatic?" Gallantmon asked quietly so that only his friends could hear. With weapons raised, they all headed into the fray.

* * *

Inside the D-Reaper

Once the fight had started on the opposite side of the park, the group that had been named the "Infiltration Team" went into action. Thanks to the combination of the leftover Red Card data and MarineAngemon's barriers, getting inside the D-Reaper dome had been easy. Calumon floated in the center of the group, waiting for everyone to get their bearings and decide where they would go next.

Everyone who was not currently fighting ReaperMyotismon outside was here. Despite some concern that Tentomon couldn't fight yet, Izzy had used a bunch of big words Calumon didn't understand to explain why he and his partner needed to be present. Koichi, J.P., Zoe, and Tommy were also accounted for. Even though they couldn't spirit evolve at the moment, they refused to be left out of another fight. Even Jeri had insisted on coming, under the pretense that she would be looking after the younger members of the team while their partners were fighting.

"If my readings were accurate, our target is that plateau over there," Izzy explained. He pointed towards the middle of the dome. Even from a distance, Calumon could make out a glowing energy ball that looked pretty important.

"I don't think we need a computer to tell us that," Sora replied. She turned around to face the rest of the group. "Alright, everyone stick together. We'll be through this before we know it."

Everyone began to sprint towards the D-Reaper's core. Calumon looked around as he floated alongside his friends. He saw nothing but different shades of red for as far as he could see. The dome also seemed empty and quiet.

"Maybe this'll be easier than we thought," Calumon said as a massive shadow appeared overhead.

"Ya had ta say it, didn't ya, Creampuff?" Impmon whined.

The massive form of an ADR-08 loomed overhead. The purple and green agent spread its massive arms and revealed a group of ADR-04's that began to let loose a rain of energy blasts. Calumon dove for cover, narrowly missing a couple of the blasts.

Calumon frantically looked around, trying to locate his friends and Jeri in particular. The girl had tackled Ai and Mako to remove them from the line of fire. The two younger Tamers exchanged a nod before both taking hold of their shared D-Power. The device lit up, causing Impmon to light up with a matching glow. No sooner had he finished digivolving into Beelzemon that he then took to the sky.

"CORONA BLASTER!"

The cannon on his right arm hummed to life and he began to eliminate the ADR-04's one-by-one. "Any time da rest of yous is ready to join in is fine wit me," Beelzemon called out.

"Biyomon…" Sora said to her partner.

"The big one, I know," Biyomon replied. In a flash, she took on the form of Phoenixmon and was attacking the ADR-08 with a variety of fire attacks and her talons.

"Lopmon, get in there," Suzie yelled. The girl looked like she was angry and wanted to break something.

"You too, Guardromon," Kazu ordered. "Let show 'em that we have teeth too."

"But I _don't_ have teeth, Kazu," Guardromon replied.

"Just start fighting!"

The two Tamers each held out their D-Power and a blue card, and soon Lopmon and Guardromon were Antylamon and Andromon. The two Ultimates joined the battle and began to dispatch the D-Reaper's agents.

"Izzy!" Sora called out over the fighting. "Get Calumon to the core. We'll finish things up here and catch up later."

"Got it," Izzy called back as he made his way over to Calumon. "You heard her. We have to move."

"Okay," was the only response Calumon could muster. He looked back at the battle and made eye contact with Jeri one last time. She was stuck in the middle of the fight and had no way of safely getting to him. Jeri gave just a single nod that told Calumon to do as he was told.

Calumon followed Izzy and Tentomon, with Kenta, MarineAngemon, and the four Warrior Digidestined falling in step behind them. The fight became somewhat quieter as they got farther away. Calumon allowed himself to think they were in the clear one more time up until the ground began to shake.

An ADR-05 materialized from the ground beneath them. It raised its right arm and crashed it into the ground in front of them.

"Just our luck," Kenta moaned as he picked himself up.

"Get a move on, Izzy," Tentomon said. "I can handle this one."

"Okay, but be careful," Izzy replied. Izzy's digivice flashed and Tentomon became HerculesKabuterimon. The beetle tackled the D-Reaper agent, and Calumon was only able to watch them grapple for a second before Izzy grabbed him and carried him the rest of the way to the base of the plateau.

"Okay, what's our next step?" J.P. asked as everyone looked for a way to climb to the top.

"Going up," MarineAngemon chimed as he enclosed Calumon and the six humans in a heart shaped bubble. The bubble then proceeded to ascend to the top of the plateau.

"Good work, buddy," Kenta said as the bubble disappeared.

"Yeah, now all we have to do is deal with those two," Tommy added, pointing out the two ADR-06's that were now blocking their way. The two agents leapt into action, causing the group to scatter.

"Okay, now might be a good time to mention that MarineAngemon doesn't really have many offensive abilities."

"Well, we have to kill those things somehow."

"Damnit," Koichi said. "We've come way too far to quit here." As he spoke, his digivice began to light up and caught everyone's attention.

"Of course," Izzy said quietly before addressing the group. "You four may not be able to use your digimon forms right now, but you're still linked to them. Try to concentrate on utilizing that link." The four of them closed their eyes for a second before Tommy, Zoe, and J.P.'s devices lit up as well.

"What now?" Tommy asked. Izzy didn't have an answer, but Calumon did. Digging deep within himself as he had done countless times in the past, he channeled the Light of Digivolution and concentrated it on the four humans. The immediate changes were minor, but noticeable.

Koichi now held an intimidating lance in his hands, while Tommy held a green gun of some kind. J.P. wore a set of blue and yellow gauntlets, and Zoe had grown what looked like a fairy's wings. They each inspected their new assets.

"Figures," Zoe said. "You three get weapons while I get stuck with these. Of all the misogynistic-"

"Zoe!" Tommy warned. The two D-Reaper agents had targeted her. Startled, she flapped her wings in an obvious effort to fly out of the way. Instead, the wings released a gust of wind that blew back her attackers.

"Okay, I take it back."

"We've got them on the ropes," Koichi called out. "Let's go, guys!"

As the two agents tried to recover, Tommy took aim with his new weapon and began to pelt them with ice. On either side of the boy, Koichi and J.P. prepared for their own strikes.

"Let's hope what they say about muscle memory is true," J.P. said before charging at the ADR-06 on the left. He clasped his fists together and brought them crashing down on the monster. As it dissolved under the impact, Koichi brought his staff to bear. He drove it through the other agent's head, causing it to dissolve likewise.

"Heck, yeah!" Tommy cheered. "Bring on the next one!"

"Let's hope there _isn't_ a next one," Izzy replied. He released Calumon from his grasp and made his way over to the glowing, transparent orb at the center of the plateau. It reminded Calumon of the sphere the D-Reaper had kept Jeri in years ago. Calumon floated over to the object.

"What do you suppose-?" Calumon began to ask before his hand sank into the thing.

"It has to be the D-Reaper's core. You'll probably have to be inside it if you want to attempt to reverse its evolution." Izzy paused for a minute and stared at Calumon. "You do know how you're going to do that, right?"

"Yep," Calumon lied. He only really knew what he was going to try when he got inside. Whenever he helped his friends digivolve, it usually came from him not wanting them to be hurt. He thought that if he concentrated how much he wanted the D-Reaper to disappear, it might do just that.

Just as Calumon was going to pass through the barrier, a shadow fell over the group. "Your progress will be terminated here," an eerie, sadistic voice said.

* * *

Outside

"TRANSCENDED SWORD!"

Swinging his sword at the incoming barrage of energy blasts, Omnimon was able to reflect the attacks and destroy a number of the D-Reaper's agents. The effort could essentially sum up how the battle was going so far. Individually, the agents were weak and easily dispatched, but their numbers more than made up for that fact. There was also the looming threat of ReaperMyotismon, who had still not joined the battle himself.

Ophanimon stabbed yet another ADR-06 with her javelin and watched it dissolve. She wasn't tired yet, but she wondered how much longer that would remain the case. More of the D-Reapers agents approached, and ReaperMyotismon floated in midair just beyond them. He looked in Ophanimon's direction as though he were enjoying the spectacle he was watching.

"Someone's enjoying the show," Seraphimon said as he came to her side.

"Let's give him something to really smile about," Ophanimon replied.

"STRIKE OF THE SEVEN STARS!"

"SEFIROT CRYSTAL!"

The two Celestials launched their attacks in a scatter pattern and eliminated the approaching force. Ophanimon was able to quickly inspect the battlefield before more arrived to take their place. Imperialdramon and MegaGargomon seemed to having the easiest time. Their physical strength meant they could easily dispatch the larger targets in single combat while their attacks were particularly effective at dispatching smaller enemies in larger numbers. This was less the case for Gallantmon and Sakuyamon, but the two seemed acclimated to fighting against these odds and were holding their own. That left Omnimon and Susanoomon. While neither was struggling at the moment, they weren't holding anything back either. Ophanimon conceded that they probably should have held the two back for when they could engage ReaperMyotismon directly.

"You would think he'd run out of those things eventually," T.K. said wearily. Their human partners were just within earshot. They hadn't exactly chosen a safe place to watch the fight, and Ophanimon would probably have a clear line of sight to them if she took her eyes off her enemies.

"What's the matter?" Davis teased. "You wanna take a break?"

"And let Imperialdram keep racking up kills? You wish." There was a brief pause. "Still, Myotismon is trying to wear us down. We need to change tactics and take the fight to him."

With no immediate response from anyone else, Ophanimon pushed forward. Again, she was easily able to cut her way through the assorted ADR units, but more seemed to continuously materialize to replace the ones she deleted. Ophanimon looked towards ReaperMyotismon again. Technically, they didn't have to defeat him here so long as the plan worked. Ophanimon brandished her javelin once more, conceding that that fact would not keep any of them from trying to destroy the monster themselves.

"MEGA BARRAGE!"

Ophanimon turned at the sound of the attack to see MegaGargomon obliterate another cluster of D-Reaper agents. A single ADR-05 remained in his path, which he defeated by bringing one of his feet down on its head.

"Henry," Terriermon said after they finished the action. "I think we're running out of ammo."

"I know. T.K.'s right; we need to change things up," Henry replied as he looked skyward. "Takato!"

"What's up?" Gallantmon answered.

"We need to clear the field. Now!"

"You really think I should waste it now?" Takato asked.

"I don't think we're gonna get a better opportunity."

Takato didn't waste time with another question. Gallantmon cut down a couple agents blocking his path and flew into the air. Once there, he began to gather up energy into the lance in his right hand.

"CRIMSON LIGHT!"

Gallantmon threw the lance at the ground. Upon touching down, it burst and bathed the battlefield in a bright light. Ophanimon was initially worried that she and the others would need to get out of the way, but the light seemed to simply wash over them. The D-Reaper's army, on the other hand, was incinerated.

"Well, look at you, Mr. Deus Ex Machina," Tai called out.

Gallantmon sheepishly scratched the back of his head before turning to face their primary target. To Ophanimon's surprise, ReaperMyotismon did not call forth any minions to replace the ones he had just lost. Instead, he calmly surveyed the battlefield.

"I guess it's time then," ReaperMyotismon said casually. He then proceeded to fly toward his first intended victim.

Omnimon fired his "Garuru Cannon," but ReaperMyotismon took the attack without even flinching. Ophanimon sighed upon realizing that she was, unsurprisingly, her former master's intended target. She readied herself, promising she would put up more of a fight than the last he tried to charge her head on.

ReaperMyotismon brought his first fist down hard, which Ophanimon swiftly dodged. Seeing an opening, she cut her javelin across his abdomen. The wound healed, but ReaperMyotismon flinched noticeably at the strike. Ophanimon took satisfaction in knowing that she had caused him at least some pain. ReaperMyotismon continued with a follow-up punch, which Ophanimon managed to deflect with the shield on her left arm. Of course, this left her open to the powerful kick that sent her crashing to the ground.

As Ophanimon began to pick herself up, she looked back towards her opponent. Rather than close the distance between them, ReaperMyotismon chose to continue his assault with an energy blast. Luckily, Ophanimon wouldn't have to dodge as Sakuyamon put herself in front of the attack and shielded them both with a barrier.

"Are you alright?" Renamon asked through the shaman.

"I will be after we do this," Ophanimon answered. She pointed her javelin forward and concentrated her energy into a single point in the barrier. Sakuyamon nodded before pointing her own staff forward and doing the same. The barrier disappeared as the two energies coalesced and shot towards ReaperMyotismon.

The demon digimon still stood firm. He scowled before calling forth a white orb with right hand and a black orb with his left.

"Don't let him get that attack off!" Susanoomon's dual voice boomed. The ancient digimon flew forward, forcing the palms of his hands against ReaperMyotismon's. The pair struggled for a bit before Susanoomon used his energy to suppress the attack.

Unknown to ReaperMyotismon, the action also served as a distraction that allowed Omnimon and Gallantmon to get behind him. The two knights drove their swords into the monster's back, actually causing him to cry out in pain. He let out a wave of energy that the three digimon flying in different directions.

"Press the advantage!" MegaGargomon yelled as he charged forward. With Imperialdramon doing the same from the opposite direction, he punched ReaperMyotismon with what looked like all of his strength. To the shock of both Megas, however, ReaperMyotismon caught both fists with his bare hands. With the same motion, he took hold of Imperialdramon and threw him at MegaGargomon, sending them both crashing to the ground.

"CELESTIAL BLADE!"

ReaperMyotismon turned around in time to see both Susanoomon and Seraphimon charging at him with swords drawn. He dodged, and while Susanoomon attempted to recover from the failed strike, he turned his attention on Seraphimon. Blocking the angel's follow-up strike, ReaperMyotismon delivered a punch to his opponent's center mass, causing him to fall out of the air. Susanoomon tried to bring his massive weapon to bear one more time, but by then it was too late. ReaperMyotismon took hold of the weapon, infusing it with his energy and causing it to disintegrate. He then set his sights on Susanoomon.

"PARADISE LOST PUNCH!"

After a flurry of blows, he crashed Susanoomon into the ground. When no further opponents immediately presented themselves, he grinned and flew back into the air.

"Don't stop now," ReaperMyotismon taunted. "Even I have to admit what you've done so far is impressive. You can't surrender now."

"Nobody's surrendering to you!" Ophanimon yelled back. At this point, she wasn't sure who was stalling who.

"Let me put all your minds at ease. I already know about your plan to get inside the D-Reaper's core. I admit, I didn't see it coming, but I knew the second your friends managed to get inside. My associate should be dealing with them as we speak."

"They won't fail! We _will _defeat you!" Gallantmon declared.

"Oh, I can assure you that you _won't_. Your friends are no match for the D-Reaper's power, just as you are no match for mine."

"We're still not impressed!" Sakuyamon yelled.

"Then let me change that." ReaperMyotismon cackled as he began to emit his twisted energy. Just as he had countless times that day, he called on his signature scythe. Ophanimon almost rolled her eyes upon realizing she was his target yet again.

"CRIMSON SCYTHE!"

Sakuyamon looked back at Ophanimon as the attack got closer. The shaman could have easily dodged if she left the weakened Celestial behind, but Ophanimon knew there was no chance of that happening. For better or worse, the decision was taken out of their hands as Omnimon stepped forward to meet the attack head on. There was a flash, and Ophanimon's heart sank as she felt Omnimon's energy disappear.

* * *

Inside

"No, not her again!" a scared Calumon cried out upon seeing their assailant.

Recalling the data he had gone over earlier, Izzy immediately recognized this particular agent as the ADR-01. This made things problematic, as all records indicated that it had power equal to a Mega-level digimon. Given the nature of their current group, Izzy wasn't sure they would be able to defeat it.

"Don't wait around, Calumon!" Izzy ordered. "We'll hold it off while you get started." Calumon hesitated for only a second before turning around and heading back towards the core.

The ADR-01 moved to intercept Calumon, but MarineAngemon was the first to intervene. He distracted the D-Reaper agent by blowing heart-shaped bubbles into its face. Irritated, the ADR-01 swatted the bubbles away and knocked the tiny Mega to the ground.

Koichi leapt into action next, jabbing at the ADR-01 with his lance. The agent simply sidestepped before striking Koichi hard enough to send them flying off to the side. Before it could decide on its next action, the ADR-01 was assaulted with a barrage of ice blasts. It raised a single hand to block the attack as it turned to face Tommy.

"Resistance is futile," the ADR-01 stated. It slowly approached Tommy before swiping the weapon from his hand. It grinned as it slowly crushed the gun in its clutches. "All who oppose the D-Reaper will be deleted. It appears that this subject has volunteered to be eliminated first."

It raised a hand to strike Tommy, but was stopped when an electrically-charged fist collided with its head. As the ADR-01 turned to face J.P., its expression changed. To Izzy, it looked as though it were becoming angry. There had to be a way to take advantage of how emotional it was being. As Izzy considered his options, J.P. struck again only for the D-Reaper agent to catch his fist.

"Attacking this body in your current form was illogical," the ADR-01 taunted. "It is excessively fragile." On the final word, it twisted J.P.'s arm, causing an audible snap. The Warrior of Thunder fell to the floor, clutching his arm and screaming in pain.

A blast of wind kept the ADR-01 from delivering a killing blow. Collecting itself to get its bearings, it set its sights on Zoe. Flying into the air before anyone else had a chance to react, the ADR-01 slashed its razor-sharp fingers across Zoe's back, tearing out her wings and leaving some nasty claw marks in their place. Zoe herself immediately fell to the ground.

Again, the ADR-01 looked like it was going for a killing blow, but was stopped when Koichi's lance crashed into its shoulder. The D-Reaper agent removed the weapon and allowed the wound to heal. After snapping the lance in two, it let off a blast that would likely have killed the Warrior of Darkness had Tommy not acted and tackled him out of the way.

The ADR-01 then turned its attention back to the D-Reaper core. Izzy turned around as well, realizing that the symbol on Calumon's forehead had lit up. Disregarding its previous targets, it flew back towards the core in an effort to stop Calumon.

"I can't let you do that," Izzy said calmly. He had no idea how he was going to back that up. The last fight Izzy had been physically and directly involved in had occurred years ago. The brief scuffle had been with a very human bully, and Tai and Matt had been there to stand up for him and end the encounter quickly. Still, Izzy knew that he couldn't do nothing. He took a clumsy swing at the ADR-01, only to be casually brushed aside.

Izzy quickly stood up, knowing he had to think fast. The agent seemed to be losing its patience, and one more push in the right direction was likely all that would be required to distract it from its current action. Izzy stuck out his right arm towards the ADR-01. Drudging up his desire to keep his friends safe, as well as disregarding Kari's earlier warning, he concentrated and sent a bolt of electricity flying towards the back of his target's head.

The side-effects of calling on this kind of power became immediately apparent. Not only did Izzy feel weak, but his right arm was completely numb. There was also the issue of the ADR-01. Not only had the bolt of electricity hit its mark, but it had also done more or less what he had intended. The D-Reaper agent was angry, and Izzy was about to become the sole recipient of said anger.

Izzy sighed. While he didn't want to die, he could make peace with that outcome knowing that his actions would save the lives of his friends. He only had two real regrets at the moment: That he wouldn't get a chance to say good-bye to his parents, and that he had never apologized to Mimi for yelling at her earlier that day. With those thoughts in his head, he closed his eyes and waited for the end.

The end never came. After quickly coming to the realization that he wasn't dead, Izzy slowly opened his eyes. At first, he only saw the ADR-01, with its outstretched arm only a few inches from his throat. It seemed just as surprised as he was. Behind the agent stood the reason it had stopped.

"Ya know, you'd think you'd of found a fix for dis particular design flaw," a grinning Beelzemon said as he coiled the ADR-01's red cable around his arm.

"All meddlers will be deleted!" the ADR-01 screamed.

"I got a new pal who disagrees wit you on dat." On que, HerculesKabuterimon rose up from the edge of the plateau and into view. Seeing electricity building up in his partner's horns, as well as Beelzemon priming his weapon, Izzy used what strength he had left to get out of the way.

"MEGA ELECTRO SHOCKER!"

"CORONA DESTROYER!"

By the time Izzy could turn around, the digimons' display of power was over and the ADR-01 was gone. Izzy moved back towards the point of impact as his partner dedigivolved and joined him at his side.

"Sorry I took so long, Izzy," Tentomon said. "The D-Reaper sent more agents my way than I anticipated."

"I think I can forgive you, given the circumstances," Izzy replied.

"Sora sends her regards. She wished she could be here in person but, in her words, 'deleting lousy computer code is busy work'."

Izzy's response was cut short by screams coming from the D-Reaper's core. The three of them quickly followed the noise, finding Calumon being put through intense pain. The best Izzy could deduce was that the D-Reaper was fighting back.

"Somethin' tells me dat's not a good sign," Beelzemon said nervously.

"That would depend on your point of view, Lord Beelzemon," a new voice said. Izzy and the two digimon turned around to see what looked like a child materialize from the ground. Like the D-Reaper's other agents, a red cable protruded from its back. "You might consider it confirmation that you plan has some merit."

"Have we met?" Beelzemon asked as brought his primary weapon around.

"Not in this lifetime, I imagine. Still, I'm not too proud to thank you. If you hadn't eliminated that witch, I probably wouldn't have been able to manifest myself."

"Who are you?" Izzy asked.

"Lucemon," Koichi growled. The boy stepped away from his wounded friends to approach the core.

"As I live and breathe, so to speak anyway," Lucemon said. He tilted his head and looked Koichi up and down. "Didn't I kill you?"

"Very nearly."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I'm glad I failed, Warrior of Darkness."

"What do you want?"

Lucemon rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to Calumon. "Believe it or not, the D-Reaper's resources are not unlimited. By constantly doing battle with your friends in and out of this dome, that fool Myotismon has pushed it to its limits. His only chance at victory now is ensure that Calumon fails in his assigned task."

"By the look of this, he might be succeeding," Izzy said grimly. He didn't need to take out his laptop to collect any data. He could tell that the core was eating away at Calumon. "Catalyst or not, Calumon is still just a Rookie. He doesn't have the data to withstand much more."

"Which is why I need your help. For this to have any chance of working, one of you will have to donate your data to Calumon. I'd do it myself, but Myotismon has stripped me of most of what I used to be."

"I'll do it," Beelzemon said without hesitating. "I got plenty of data to spare. Anything Creampuff needs he can take from me."

"Very well," Lucemon said. With a wave of his hand, a trio of cable emerged from the D-Reaper's core and dug themselves into Beelzemon's back. Izzy was about to ask how they would know it was working when Beelzemon fell to his knees in pain.

"Perhaps this would go smoother if I donated some of my data as well," Tentomon suggested with concern in his voice.

"No way!" Beelzemon yelled. "No one else is gettin' hurt cuz I was too weak ta handle myself."

"Why are you doing this, Lucemon?" Koichi asked suspiciously. "What do you get out of helping us?"

"I have plenty of reasons for my actions," Lucemon explained casually. He didn't face any of them as he spoke, instead keeping his gaze fixed on the D-Reaper's core. "Chief among them is pride. Helping you defeat Myotismon not only allows me some form of revenge for what he put me through. I also get to prove to him that I was right."

* * *

Outside

After crashing to the ground yet again, Gallantmon immediately picked himself up. Takato knew that he and Guilmon wouldn't be able to maintain their Mega form if they continued to take this kind of beating. The issue wasn't even that the battle was one-sided. He and his friends were also dealing out a significant amount of damage to ReaperMyotismon. The main obstacle they needed to overcome was the healing factor their enemy used, which meant they never did any lasting damage.

Gallantmon turned his head in the direction of Tai and the others, who were still watching from the sidelines. Tai and Matt held Agumon and Gabumon in their arms. Omnimon had been able to negate ReaperMyotismon's attack earlier, but the cost was taking the Royal Knight out of the battle. Everyone else was still fighting at the moment, however, and Takato was willing to bet none of them were even considering quitting.

"This is stupid!" Davis yelled impatiently. Takato could relate to the feeling. They were no longer making progress in this battle.

"What can we do, Davis?" Ken asked calmly. "It's not like he's going to give us chance to come up with a new plan."

"Then we create our own chance. Imperialdramon!" The Mega turned to Davis his attention. "The others need a chance to regroup, and we're gonna give it to 'em."

"Got it," Imperialdramon replied confidently. He wasted no time in charging back into battle, charging up the cannon on his right arm as he did.

"POSITRON LASER!"

The blast collided with ReaperMyotismon, who actually seemed surprised by Imperialdramon's efforts to fight him alone. He shook off the strike, but Imperialdramon was right on top of him by that point. The fused digimon continued to strike at ReaperMyotismon with his bare fists.

"That's great, but what are _we_ supposed to do in the meantime?" Susanoomon asked. Just as he did, ReaperMyotismon began to fight back. Imperialdramon wouldn't last much longer.

"We need find a weakness and take advantage of it," MegaGargomon answered.

Takato stayed quiet. While he only had vague memories of his previous fight with ReaperMyotismon, he remembered that he had been able to catch him unawares and briefly overpower him. Takato hated the monster he became when he let his anger take over, but remembering Jeri's words, he wondered if he could save his friends if he aimed said monster in the right direction. As he wrestled with the decision, he felt a hand gently place itself on Gallantmon's shoulder, so he turned to face its owner.

"I know what you're thinking, and you can't go through with it," Ophanimon said softly. "Losing yourself in this battle won't save anyone. Trust me, I know from experience."

"I just feel so helpless right now," Takato replied.

"Honestly, so do I." Ophanimon paused for second to look back at the fight. Something had caught her eye. "Funny thing is, when you have your friends watching your back, you're never really helpless."

Gallantmon followed her sightline, immediately learning the source of her newfound optimism. The cables on ReaperMyotismon's back began to crumble away, and the D-Reaper dome began to shrink. No one bothered to ask why this was happening. The plan had worked.

"Impossible!" ReaperMyotismon screamed as he convulsed. He attempted to collect himself and continue his assault. To Imperialdramon's credit, he held his ground.

"His power output isn't decreasing," Seraphimon observed.

"He's desperate," Ophanimon explained. "The source of his power is gone, and he's trying to burn through everything he has left in the hopes he can overpower us."

"He look's unstable," Tai pointed out.

"He _is_ unstable. I bet if we can land a powerful enough strike, we can put him down."

"Sounds like a plan to me." To Takato's surprise, Tai turned his attention towards Gallantmon. "Do you think you have anything left in the tank, Takato?"

"I'm not really sure," Takato replied. He looked towards Sakuyamon and MegaGargomon, who both gave him confident nods. Despite everything that happened today, their trust in him had not wavered once. In that moment, Takato realized he did have one last idea he was willing to try. "Actually, _we _might have one trick left. It's kind of a one-and-done thing though, so you guys are gonna have to get us a clear shot."

"Leave that to us," Susanoomon declared.

"Kari, T.K., I want the two of you on defense," Tai ordered. "If ReaperMyotismon gets wind of what we're doing, you need to turn his attacks away. Everyone understands the plan, right?" Above them, ReaperMyotismon landed a direct strike on Imperialdramon, causing him to break apart into Veemon and Wormmon. "Move now!"

Gallantmon, Sakuyamon, and MegaGargomon flew into the air, picking a spot they felt comfortable launching their attack from. "You guys ready?" Takato asked quietly.

"Always," Guilmon declared.

"We got your back, Goggle-head," Rika said with her trademark confidence.

"Not like we could turn back out now if we wanted to," Terriermon added.

At that moment, ReaperMyotismon saw the three grouping together. He gave them his undivided attention, releasing a storm of crimson shards in their direction. Luckily, the attack didn't have a chance to get through. Ophanimon and Seraphimon intervened, calling up energy in their javelin and sword respectively and absorbing the shards. ReaperMyotismon wouldn't get a chance to launch a follow-up attack, as Susanoomon flew forward to enact his part of the plan.

"HEAVEN'S THUNDER!"

Two dragon-shaped columns of lightning fell from the sky and sank their jaws into ReaperMyotismon's arms. He screamed in rage and pain, but was obviously able to do nothing about his new confines.

Takato, Rika, Henry, and their partners exchanged no words. They only willed their Mega forms forward. Takato had always had some reservations about this attack, as the nature of it could never really be explained. As their forms began to crystalize, however, none of that seemed to matter.

"TRINITY BURST!"

With their essences intertwined in the form of raw energy, they collided with their target. ReaperMyotismon cursed at them one final time as his form collapsed under the weight of their combined strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll let you decide for yourself whether "Brave Heart" or "Kick It Up" plays over that last bit.
> 
> Next time: Epilogue


	13. Until Next We Meet

Universe 351: The Real World- Shinjuku Park

The first thought that crossed Calumon's mind when he opened his eyes was how pretty night's sky looked. It was clear, so he had a perfect view of all the stars. He sat up, trying to remember what he had been doing before he passed out. Upon seeing his friends, all his memories came back at once.

Calumon's first instinct was to hobble over to the unconscious Impmon. He recalled feeling Impmon's presence while being tortured by the D-Reaper, as though the purple digimon had been inside the core with him. It was sometime after that that Calumon had blacked out.

Standing over his friend, Calumon began to shake him in order to get a response. Impmon remained unmoving. "Get up, Impmon!" Calumon shouted. He shook Impmon again.

"Calumon…" The little Celestial turned around to see Izzy standing over him, with a sad look on his face. His shouting had apparently caused everyone else to wake up. "I don't think you should do that."

Calumon couldn't come up with a reason why he shouldn't. Impmon needed to wake up eventually. Just as Izzy began to reach out to pull him away, Calumon came up with an idea. He leapt up a bit before crashing down on Impmon's tail.

"Yeow!" Impmon screamed as he jumped to his feet. Clutching his tail, he turned to Calumon with an angry look on his face. "What's da matter wit you, Creampuff? Have you lost your mind?"

"I had to thank you for saving my life somehow," Calumon beamed.

"You got a funny way of showin' your appreciation, pal."

"Impmon!" two voices screamed, drawing the attention of both digimon. They belonged to none other than Ai and Mako, who were running towards their shared partner.

"What's goin'-?" Impmon was interrupted when Ai grabbed him by the ear.

"What's the matter with you?" she reprimanded. "You left in the middle of the fight. We were worried about you."

"Yeah, I thought we were a team," Mako added.

"We are a team, guys," Impmon said. "Now, would you please let… go." Impmon managed to pry his ear lose only for his Tamers to catch him in hug.

"We'll think about it," Ai teased, getting laughs from the older kids standing nearby.

"We won, right?" Calumon asked Izzy. With the day they had had so far, he wanted to be sure that it was over.

"I think so," Izzy replied confidently. "The D-Reaper's gone, and since I can't hear anymore fighting going on, I bet the others have dealt with Myotismon."

"What about Lucemon?" Tommy asked.

"He said that Myotismon had absorbed most of his data. I doubt he could have survived on his own once the D-Reaper was deleted."

"Stranger things have happened," Koichi added as he looked upward. Calumon sighed, wondering how he could still be so serious after they had won.

Deciding he was bored of this conversation, Calumon left the humans to talk amongst themselves. He decided to go find Jeri. Calumon was hungry, and he was sure the girl would want to help him find something to eat.

* * *

"So, who wants to do that again?" Takuya asked as he tried to catch his breath. No response was given as everyone else seemed to be as tired as he was. Still, the exhaustion did nothing to dampen the mood of the group. They had finally won.

Gatomon looked around to assure herself that everyone had come out of the battle in one piece. They were all still scattered throughout this area of the park, but the group was slowly coming back together. Kari and T.K. approached Gatomon and Patamon, and Gatomon could finally see the humans allow a sense of relief to come over them.

"You guys okay?" T.K. asked.

"We're okey-dokey, partner," Patamon replied happily as he settled himself on top of T.K.'s head. "Say, do you think we can ask the forces of evil to take the rest of the month off?"

"I'll see what I can do."

Kari said nothing, instead kneeling down to offer Gatomon her usual spot on her shoulder. Gatomon was about to accept, but a twitch of her ear and a tingling feeling on the scar on her paw told her to hold off. She followed her instincts and turned back to the scene of the fight.

"I have to go check on something," Gatomon explained. "I'll be right back."

"Okay," Kari replied. Gatomon wondered if she had gotten the same feeling. Either way, Kari had enough faith in her to not question her decision. "I'll be right here if you need me."

"I know." Gatomon gave her partner one last smile before heading towards a sizable crater in the middle of the park. Nearby the crater, she noticed the Tamers and their digimon. As a result of their combined attack, they had all landed on top of one another, with Guilmon somehow ending up on top of the pile.

"Are you guys still in one piece?" Takato asked.

"Everything hurts," Guilmon moaned.

"Any more bright ideas, Goggle-head?" Rika strained to ask.

"Moumantai, Rika," Terriermon interjected. "It worked, didn't it?"

"How about I moumantai my foot into your face?"

"Okay, that doesn't even make any sense."

Gatomon allowed herself a small chuckle at the scene before turning her attention to her former master, who lay at the center of the crater. At first, it seemed as though Myotismon had reverted to his original form, or at least the form she had originally known him as. This proved to not be the case as Gatomon got closer. Myotismon now seemed older and more decrepit, and flecks of data were falling off him. This was likely the result of his repeated deaths and resurrections. Gatomon was willing to bet that all he had left was his core data.

"Come to see me off, old friend?" Myotismon asked weakly. Even in his sorry state, he still maintained some level of arrogance.

"I guess so," Gatomon said plainly.

"Next time, you and your friends won't be so lucky." This last declaration left Gatomon more disappointed than anything else. It affirmed her fear that Myotismon was a monster who would never change. No matter how these battles turned out, he would always find a way of blaming the Digidestined for his own shortcomings. He was probably plotting his next return as they spoke.

"What made you like this?" Gatomon asked calmly. It had to be more than just being one of Apocalymon's spawns. Something had to have happened to him to make him this way. "You don't even remember, do you?"

"I'll make you all suffer," Myotismon said, almost as if he hadn't heard her question.

"No, you won't," Gatomon replied. She held up her right paw as she spoke and looked it over. She had no doubt that Myotismon would try to return again. Whether or not he would be able to succeed was anyone's guess, but Gatomon knew it would be the job of her and her friends to stop him. She was one of the Chosen Digimon after all, and she would do whatever it took to keep the world safe from evil like Myotismon. "You've caused us enough pain."

Looking down on Myotismon, Gatomon was reminded of what she had learned earlier. One cannot escape their past, not entirely anyway. Her past was her shadow; easy to ignore, but always a part of her. Gatomon was one of the Chosen Digimon, yes, but she was also all her past experiences. Unfortunately for Myotismon, that meant she was still capable of being the killer he made her into.

Gatomon drove her claws into Myotismon's chest, right in the spot where his heart should have been. As her old master finally burst into data, she inhaled both physically and mentally. She loaded Myotismon's data, bit by bit until it was a part of her own.

Once the process was done, Gatomon left the crater and began making her way back to Kari and the others. She gave no further thought to the data she had just acquired. If she already carried her past with her, a little more weight wouldn't make a difference. If it did become a strain, Gatomon had plenty of friends who would help her with it.

* * *

Hypnos HQ

Twelve hours had passed since their victory in the park. With few other options available to them, the three teams of Digidestined had taken up temporary residence at Hypnos. The arrangements actually reminded Izzy of summer camp a bit. So much had changed since that fateful day all those years ago, when he and six of his closest friends got swept up into the adventure of a lifetime.

Bringing his mind back to the present, Izzy continued to address the relatively small group in the conference room with him. Present were Ken, Henry, Yamaki, Riley, and Tally, all of whom were genuinely paying attention and had at least a basic understanding of what he had to say. For him, it was a nice change of pace. Usually his explanations were only grasped by Ken and Yolei, with the rest of his friends usually giving him blank stares and requests to use plain language. The fact that everyone else was absent was probably for the best, as interdimensional travel could get pretty technical to say the least. Izzy was likely to just call the process "invisible magic" if anyone else bothered to ask about it.

"That's about it, really," Izzy concluded. "Conceptually, it's not all that different from the digital gates we use back home."

"Except ripping a hole in the universe requires a bit more… kick," Ken added. It was also going to require slightly more equipment than a couple of laptops. Izzy had already taken the liberty of coming up with a list, which Tally was going over.

"We should be able to put this stuff together pretty quickly, as long you don't mind pulling a couple strings, boss," Tally stated. Yamaki only grunted in response.

"We should do this as soon as possible," Izzy explained. "That way, we can take advantage of the residual temporal energy in Shinjuku Park."

"My only question is about how you'll be able to differentiate between the different universes," Riley said.

"That's my favorite part," Izzy pressed a button on his computer and a chart appeared on a display screen. "Based on the readings I got from each portal, they each only had one real difference. They each seemed to be operating on a different frequency."

"Like different stations on a radio," Yamaki surmised, to which Izzy gave an approving nod. "What's each frequency based on?"

"Like I said, it's my favorite part. Each frequency is identical to the ones emitted by digivices native to said reality. We just have use an appropriate device as a key to each world." Izzy left out the fact that this would make traveling between universes difficult once everyone was home. Hopefully, that kind travel wouldn't be necessary again or at least for some time. He had already added it to the list of things he would be looking into once they were home.

"This is some incredible work, Mr. Izumi. Are you sure I can't tempt you to stay behind with a job here?"

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm needed elsewhere."

"We'd be lost without him," Ken added.

"Still, Henry and I are trying to come up with a system so that we can stay in contact." All eyes turned to the boy in question.

"It's really just a bunch of theories at this point," Henry explained. "We don't think video or audio communication is possible, but we were talking about how setting up an email system might be possible."

"Wormmon's always wanted a pen pal," Ken joked. Izzy chuckled a bit before briefly returning to his own thoughts.

On the surface, it didn't seem like the last twenty-four hours would have a huge impact on everyday life. Only a select few outside of this building would even know what took place. Izzy himself would go home, return to school and his everyday life, and work with the data he had collected. If nothing else, however, Izzy knew that this information proved that their lives had been altered forever.

* * *

Shinjuku Park

Koji took a second to take in the sights around him. While he knew for a fact that his own reality had a park just like this one, he felt like there was something special about this iteration. It wasn't something that could be put into words. The only thing he had been able to gleam from the Tamers was that it was closely tied to their own personal history as well as the city's history with the Digital World.

"What's the hold up, buddy?" Takuya called out to him. Koji had fallen slightly behind him, Tommy, Zoe, and J.P.

"It's nothing," Koji replied as he caught up to them. They were currently en route to a meeting place in the park. While no specifics were given other than the location, they knew that a way for them to return home had been determined.

Unsurprisingly, this news received mixed reactions. Many of them had made new friends in their brief time together, and there was no telling if or when they would see each other again. Tai expressed interest in staying to be present for Ryo's memorial service, but that was quashed by a few factors. Takato had explained that it felt wrong to hold a service before the boy's family knew the truth, and the consensus amongst the Tamers was that they wanted at least a little more time to process what had happened. Also, Izzy seemed to imply that they had a limited window for returning home.

"Where did Koichi get to?" Zoe asked, likely to break the silence.

"He went on ahead," Koji replied. "Izzy needed one of us to help with the portal, so he volunteered."

"He sure makes friends fast." This was unsurprising to Koji. Despite being the Warrior of Darkness, his twin was actually one their group's warmest and most open personalities.

"I'm a little jealous," J.P. said while looking down at his broken arm. "I was at his side for pretty much the whole time and all I'm leaving with is this sling."

"Tell me about it." Zoe looked at her back as she spoke. A set of bandages could be seen through the tears in her clothing. "Who knows how long it'll be until these scars fade?"

"Hey, scars are distinctive," Takuya said casually. "I bet they'll look good on you." Koji expected Zoe to say something in response, but the Warrior of Wind simply turned a little red and faced forward so none of the boys could see her face. Takuya scratched the back of his head nervously, probably only then realizing what he had said.

"Takuya and Zoe sittin' in a tree…" Tommy sang.

"Like you're one to talk," Takuya snapped as he pulled Tommy's hat down over his face, effectively muffling his chant. "Don't think I didn't see you getting chummy with Suzie yesterday."

"It wasn't like that, Takuya," Tommy whined as he pulled his hat back up. "She was sad and I was just trying to make her feel better."

"I bet you were." At that, Tommy leapt onto Takuya's back, which resulted in the two wrestling and arguing with each other all the way to their destination.

Everyone else had already arrived. As the five Legendary Warriors walked by, the Tamers were actually in the middle of saying goodbye to Tai's group. At this point, Jeri was talking to Ken and Sora had somehow coerced Rika into an awkward hug. While Koji opted not to stop and interrupt anybody, he did exchange nods of acknowledgment with Matt and Henry. Though his interactions with them both had been brief, they had both been key in helping him work through his issues.

The five of them made their way over to a set of generators hooked up to a sizable computer tower. Koji didn't have to be tech savvy to guess that this was the device that would be getting them home. Operating it was Izzy, with Koichi and T.K. standing on either side him. The two of them were chatting between themselves.

"And if reason fails, punching him in the face works just as well," T.K. concluded.

"As usual, your logic is sound," Koichi replied. The pair shook hands before moving to join their respective groups.

"What was all that about?" Koji asked his twin.

"Nothing you need to worry about yet."

"Listen up, everyone!" Tai called out. The Digidestined of Courage had moved near Izzy's computer tower, and no one hesitated to turn their attention towards him. "I know that this fight wasn't easy. For some of us, things will never be the same again. We lost a couple friends to get here, but I think it's safe to say they would be proud of us. We saved at least three worlds that we know of, and that's always been the mission. I guess what I'm trying to do is thank all of you for upholding the mission."

"Quit grandstanding, Fearless Leader," Matt mocked, getting some laughs from the group. "Some of us want to get home."

"You heard him, Izzy. Take us home!"

After a couple key strokes from Izzy, two adjacent portals opened up in the middle of the park. With Izzy directing his own friends towards one, it was obvious to Koji that their way home was the other. As his friends began to pass through the threshold, Koji noticed Takuya holding back.

"What's the hold up, buddy?" Koji asked.

"Give me a sec, Koji," Takuya replied with a smile. "There's something I want to do."

"You're not thinking of staying behind, are you?"

"Are you kidding? What would you guys do without me to bail you out of trouble? Trust me; I'll be right behind you."

"Okay, I'll see you on the other side, partner." Koji nodded to his best friend one more time before turning around and going home.

* * *

Takato and Guilmon stood at a point in between the two portals. While his friends had since moved away from the spot, Takato remained. In his mind, there was still one more thing he wanted to do. Tai, Davis, and their partners were standing to his left as Takuya approached the group from his right. None of them had spoken yet, but they had all held up for a similar reason.

"I guess you got the same idea we did," Davis said to Takuya as he joined the group.

"I guess I did," Takuya said nonchalantly. "I'm usually not one for mushy goodbyes, but I felt a little left out when I saw you guys standing here."

"So, where do we start?" Takato asked. There was a brief pause. If Takato had to guess, there was nothing specific that they needed to say to one another. Still, despite how short a time they had known each other, there was still a strong connection between them. Takato had felt it when they had met, but was still having trouble expressing it with words.

"Why is saying "goodbye" so difficult for humans?" Veemon asked, breaking the silence.

"'Goodbye' is sad," Agumon explained. "It makes it seem like they're never gonna see each other again."

"Then don't say 'goodbye'," Guilmon suggested with a laugh. "Say 'see ya later' or something like that."

"Can't argue with that logic," Tai said. "So, what's on your schedules for tomorrow?"

"School…" three disappointed voices replied at once.

"Yeah, I guess I should have been able to guess that."

"It's not all that bad," Takuya said. "At least I have soccer practice tomorrow."

"Hey, so do we!" Davis affirmed.

"Really?" The statement caught Takuya's attention. Takato had already known Tai and Davis played soccer, but that was only because it had been consistently brought up in the TV show. Thinking back, they hadn't had a lot of time to learn about each other's personal lives.

"Yeah," Tai confirmed. "I'm the team's captain."

"For now," Davis teased. "Between you and me, Takuya, I think he's getting a little too old to keep up with the rest of us."

"Still not too old to kick your ass when I need to." Tai then turned to Takato, obviously detecting the Tamer's lack of interest in the current conversation. "What about you, Takato? Do you play any sports?"

"Do video games count?" Takato joked. "Honestly, I'm more comfortable off to the side with a pencil and a sketchpad."

"So you're an artist?" Takuya asked.

"An aspiring one, at least." Takato was actually proud of how much his abilities had improved over the years, but still wasn't comfortable bragging about them. He didn't feel like he had the right to call himself "an artist" yet.

"I like to draw sometimes too," Davis said.

"I'm not sure what you do could be considered drawing, Davis," Veemon stated to his partner's irritation.

"You know, you would be the worst wingman ever."

"It's funny," Agumon observed. "You four actually have a lot in common."

"I guess you're right. Takato definitely has Tai's fondness for redheads." Takato felt the back of his neck heat up. He shifted away a bit to hide his embarrassment.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, Takato," Guilmon said confidently. "If it makes you feel any better, it's actually pretty obvious."

"Is it?" Takato asked, raising an eyebrow to his partner.

"Well, you drew me, and my head's pretty red." Takato sighed and the other three boys laughed. As he suspected, Guilmon was a bit too naïve to grasp what they were actually talking about.

"Guilmon, that's not-" Takato's explanation was cut short when the computer tower powering the portals began to beep. Before any of them could ask what it meant, the two portals began to flicker.

"I guess that's our que," Tai pointed out as he turned towards his portal. "We don't want to miss our ride home."

"I don't know," Davis pondered. "Being trapped in a parallel universe seems like a legitimate excuse for missing school."

"Just get going, you blockhead." Tai gave Davis a shove and the younger Digidestined stumbled through the portal.

"Take care, guys," Takuya called back. "Feel free to rip a hole in reality if you ever want to hang out." With that, the boy disappeared.

Tai looked back at Takato one final time, giving him single nod. Takato felt the need to thank Tai for his help one more time, but just returned the nod instead. Thinking back to what Agumon had said, he didn't want to treat this like their final conversation. Knowing how their lives tended to go, there was a good chance they would see each other again. After watching Tai pass through the portal, Takato turned away from the closing portals and walked to where Rika and Henry were waiting for him.

"Are we good?" Henry asked.

"I think so," Takato replied.

"Did you and Tai have enough time to profess your love for each other?" Rika teased.

"We decided a long-distance relationship wasn't for us. I think I'm gonna try and find something a little closer to home." Rika turned away from him slightly as he smiled in her direction.

"Well, good luck with that." Like the rest of them, she was still a little down. Takato took a deep breath before taking a step towards her. Whether Rika liked it or not, he refused to sit there and do nothing while she was hurting.

"Hey…" Takato placed a hand on Rika's shoulder and gently turned her to face him. "Honestly, how are you holding up?"

"Is 'I don't know' an acceptable answer?" There was no sarcasm or snark in her voice to mask how she was actually feeling. Takato couldn't hold the vague answer against her, as it was how he was feeling as well. He decided to treat it like a small victory, as Rika typically didn't like to express how she was feeling.

"I think it'll be a little bit until _any _of us will be giving a straight answer to that question," Henry added.

"Well, someone's feeling optimistic today," Terriermon commented from atop his partner's head. "Moumantai already, Henry."

"Sorry, I'm just worried about the others." He was right to worry, of course. Kazu and Kenta had become quiet again after the fighting had stopped. Suzie was putting on brave face and trying to act normal, likely because that's what she thought Ryo would want her to do. Jeri wasn't supportive of this idea, having said that someone Suzie's age shouldn't keep grief bottled up. If his friends continued to act this way, Takato knew he would have to intervene.

"We just have to give them a little time," Takato said as he dropped his hand from Rika's shoulder and turned to face Henry. "We'll get through this as long as we do it together."

"Just like we always do," Renamon pointed out.

"It's worked for us so far," Guilmon said cheerily. "Why change now?"

"I suppose you're correct."

Takato looked back and forth between his two best friends one more time. Neither spoke, but they didn't have to. In the end, they would always have each other's support. As the three Tamers and their partners moved to rejoin the rest of their friends, Takato knew that was all he needed for the time being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have anything left to add at this point. Last time I finished posting this story, I had this long AN talking about future plans, but that particular note seems out of date right now. All I'll say now is that there's more to come.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read. Leave a comment if you feel up to it, and I'll talk at you later.


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